This could set the cat among the pigeons at the increasingly ‘woke’ Brit Awards.
I hear that Hollywood star Johnny Depp, scourge of feminists since his sordid court case with ex-wife Amber Heard featured claims of domestic abuse, has made the long list for not one, not two, but three music prizes, thanks to his collaboration with veteran English guitarist Jeff Beck.
‘Depp would liven up an increasingly dull event, but the Amber Heard case means female artists would probably refuse to share the stage,’ an insider tells me.
In June, Depp, 56, was awarded $10.35million in a verdict delivered after his legal team successfully argued that Heard’s Washington Post op-ed, in which she accused her ex-husband of domestic abuse, was defamatory.
Heard did not name Depp publicly in the piece but given their status and notoriety, it was evident who she was referencing in regard to her history of being allegedly abused.
During the defamation trial, supermodel Kate Moss took to the stand to defend her ex-boyfriend, who she dated from 1994 to 1998.
She delivered a sensational blow to his ex-wife by squashing the actress’s claim that Depp once pushed his supermodel ex down a flight of stairs.
During her testimony, Heard referred to having heard allegations that Depp had once shoved Moss down a flight of stairs but Moss insisted that the actor actually helped her after she accidentally slipped.
Heard made the claim while discussing an argument that she allegedly had with Depp at the top of a staircase, when she said her sister, Whitney Heard, stepped in between them.
Heard told the court: ‘She threw herself in the line of fire. She was trying to get Johnny to stop. Her back was to the staircase, and Johnny swings at her. I don’t hesitate and wait – I instantly think of Kate Moss and stairs. And I swung at him.’
Moss said during her testimony that Depp never ‘pushed her or threw her down any stairs,’ in fact, she said that he tended to her after she tripped during a trip they took to Jamaica together.
Johnny’s potential inclusion at the ceremony, at the O2 Arena in London in February, would send shivers down the spines of executives at ITV, which is screening the event.
The broadcaster has become more politically correct under chief executive Carolyn McCall, former boss of The Guardian newspaper, who has presided over the departure of stars including Piers Morgan and Eamonn Holmes. Morgan left the channel after refusing to apologise for calling the Duchess of Sussex a liar.
At this year’s ceremony, the organisers abolished gender categories, such as Best Male Artist and Best Female Artist, ‘to be as inclusive and as relevant as possible’.
Pop singer Sam Smith, who identifies as gender neutral, had previously said: ‘Music for me has always been about unification not division. I look forward to a time where awards shows can be reflective of the society we live in.’
Depp, 59, has made the long list for three categories, as a result of his album, 18, with former Yardbirds star Beck, 78. They are: album of the year; best group; and alternative/rock act.
While the Brit awards was once known for debauched behaviour such as then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott having iced water poured over him by the band Chumbawamba, this year’s ceremony was dismissed as a ‘snoozefest’ hosted by comedian Mo Gilligan.
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