The head of the release of her virtual Savage X Fenty lingerie runway show is facing criticism because she cast Johnny Depp in the production. The fourth installation of the show will feature the first appearance of a male in a light moment. When a jury ruled in favor of Heard in the defamation case, they referred to her as a public figure representing domestic abuse. There were larger conversations about abuse, survivors, and power after the coverage of the trial. The cast of the show prompted an immediate backlash online, with the name of the man who was cast in the show being used as a synonym for "Savage X Fenty". One person commented on the strangeness of having Johnny Depp in her show. No one talked about this man until the trial. He is relevant because he beat women. Where is she headed? Having Depp in the show did not add much to the show. Putting Johnny Depp on your show adds ZERO value. Maybe shock value or a slight viral moment. But that’s it. Because the average millennial or generation z aren’t resonating with that man. So.. People were upset with the inclusion of Johnny Depp as a model in the show because of the abuse allegations against him. They pointed out that the singer had experienced domestic violence. People used the #AbuserxFenty and #DitchDepp to share their disappointment with the casting of the film and called for a boycott. Johnny Depp was invited to appear on the show because he was embraced as a hero by the right-wing extremists. It was never expected that a powerful woman would lose her mind. The producer who came forward to accuse Russell Simmons of rape wrote that it was really disappointing. The choice that @rihanna made is frustrating, but in protesting — please keep attention on Depp’s history of violence. There are no perfect victims, but Rihanna is still an abuse survivor, and I don’t want to invalidate that. #AbuserXFenty pic.twitter.com/AXE4T2YTaP
Time reached out to several people but did not hear back.
There is a myth of the perfect victim perpetuated by the Depp-Heard trial.
This isn't the first time that the pop star has faced backlash over something she has done. She came under fire in 2020 for using a song on her show that had a hadith, a sacred Islamic text; she later apologized and the song was removed from all streaming platforms.
In the past, the singer has spoken out against domestic violence. She called out the platform on her IG stories, saying, "I know you ain't that dumb." A person wrote a letter. You spent a lot of money to make a joke of something that would bring shame to victims of domestic violence. All the women, children and men that have been victims of domestic violence in the past and the ones who haven't made it out yet, you let us down! It was a shame on you.
It was praised for its inclusivity. The use of a sacred Islamic text in a runway show is under fire.
Some people said that it was great to see Rih show her support for him, as he is a survivor of abuse. You don't know that she is a domestic violence survivor and can recognize other victims. A person said that she was so real for this.
Inclusivity is a cornerstone of her personal brand, and she has made it a point to include all of her ventures. A wide range of different races, body types, gender identities, and sexual orientations can be found in the castings of her runway shows. Many fans felt that she undermined her own values by casting Depp. How does a misogynistic, racist, homophobic abuser represent fearlessness, confidence, and inclusivity? That's the question that was posed in a graphic uploaded to the internet.
Cady Lang can be reached at Cady.lang@timemagazine.com and Moises.mendez can be reached at moises.mendez@time.com.
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