Schitt’s Creek Star Apologizes For Johnny Depp/Amber Heard Halloween Costume Controversy

At first, Emily Hampshire seemed proud to show off her costume on Instagram. She was dressed as Johnny Depp, and in order to make her costume more recognizable, the star rocked some fake tattoos and even wore a suit that resembled what Depp wore during his infamous libel trial against Amber Heard.

It’s impossible to tell what the Schitt’s Creek star was thinking when she first dressed up as Depp, but it didn’t take long for her to delete the photos she posted amid a firestorm of internet controversy.

While Johnny Depp is a controversial figure in and of himself, Emily Hampshire didn’t get in trouble for simply dressing like the Pirates of the Caribbean star. During Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard, a central element of the case was the alleged domestic abuse that occurred within their relationship. By dressing as Depp from the trial, it appeared to many on social media that Hampshire was effectively making light of domestic abuse.

“I want to address what is one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I’ve ever done,” she began. 

The reason domestic abuse was such a central element in Depp’s case against Heard is that she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in 2018 which alluded to Depp allegedly abusing her. Depp took her to court over the matter, and the judge ultimately ruled that Heard had, in fact, defamed Depp. But to make things that much messier, the judge also ruled that Depp had defamed Heard in his efforts to fight back against her accusations.

After removing the photos of her Halloween costume from social media, Emily Hampshire posted an apology to Instagram. “I want to address what is one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I’ve ever done,” she began. 

“For Halloween, I stupidly thought it would be funny to dress as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. I am deeply sorry and ashamed for putting something that awful out in the universe.” To clarify her stance even further, the Schitt’s Creek star added that “Domestic abuse is never, ever funny” and that she will try to “do better” because “These are real issues with real people and I REALLY regret my actions.”

The immediate online backlash to Emily Hampshire dressing as Johnny Depp has revealed that many people still have very strong feelings about his defamation trial against Heard. The highly public nature of the defamation trial made the case even more entertaining than many of the stars’ films, and it was difficult for fans to watch the trial unfold without picking a side. Now, Hampshire’s choice of Halloween costume ended up stirring up all those old controversies while also riling up people who imagined she was mocking victims of domestic abuse.

However, we’re certainly willing to take Emily Hampshire’s apology at face value: she seems genuinely contrite over the trauma she unintentionally caused and is focused on avoiding such mistakes in the future. Speaking of the future, Depp has previously said he no longer needs Hollywood, so we’re not sure what his next creative project will be.

In the meanwhile, audiences can expect to see Amber Heard in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom when it hits theaters on December 22, but only time will tell whether that film will improve her reputation or whether her career should go find somewhere to rent in Schitt’s Creek.