J.K. Rowling defends casting of Johnny Depp in 'Fantastic Beasts'
J.K. Rowling has defended the decision to cast Johnny Depp in the new “Fantastic Beasts” movie despite allegations of domestic violence leveled against the star.
On her official site, the author said she and the film’s producers were concerned by the stories in the press about Depp and acknowledged fans’ concerns, but stood by their casting decision. Depp was accused of domestic abuse during his divorce from former wife Amber Heard.
“Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies,” Rowling said.
Warner Bros. also defended the decision to stick by Depp. “Based on the circumstances and the information available to us, we, along with the filmmakers, continue to support the decision to proceed with Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald in this and future films,” it said in a statement today.
The director of the upcoming installment of the Wizarding franchise, David Yates, and producer David Heyman echoed Rowling and Warner Bros.’ sentiments in their own statement.
“We recognized the magnitude of the issues raised and understood the strength of feeling expressed. We hoped and strived at all times to be sensitive to both parties. We stand by our decision to have Johnny in the films,” the pair said.
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