Staff ReporterMOVIE star Johnny Depp has sparked controversy by joking about the assassination of US President Donald Trump.
Depp, star of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, made the comments at the UK’s Glastonbury music festival.
The remarks were recorded and he seemed to know that, even if they weren’t serious, they would be controversial. Speaking to the crowd at the festival in the English county of Somerset, he asked, “Can we bring Trump in?”. The crowd responded with loud boos, reported ABC America.
“No, no, no. You misunderstand completely. I think he needs help,” said Depp to the crowd
“It’s just a question. I’m not insinuating anything — by the way this will be in the press and it will be horrible … but when was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” he asked as the crowd cheered.
It’s possible that Depp was referencing actor John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Although it’s not clear how au fait a crowd of mainly British music lovers would be about the deaths of US presidents “I want to clarify: I’m not an actor,” he continued.
“I lie for a living, however it’s been a while. Maybe it’s about time.”
In a statement to ABC News, the US Secret Service said, “We actively monitor open source reporting, including social media networks, and we evaluate potential threats.
“For security reasons, we cannot discuss specifically nor in general terms the means and methods of how we perform our protective responsibilities.” Depp has not yet made further comment on his remarks.
Joking about assassinating presidents can be a career limiting move, as comedian Kathy Griffin recently found out.
Earlier this month, she posted behind the scenes footage from a shoot with photographer Tyler Shields which showed a prop of Trump’s decapitated head.
President Trump’s 11-year-old son Barron screamed with panic seeing a picture of a decapitated head he thought was his father, TMZ reported.
“We’re told he panicked and screamed, ‘Mommy, Mommy!’” the agency reported.
“As it was put to us, ‘He’s 11. He doesn’t know who Kathy Griffin is and the head she was holding resembled his dad’.”
The President said the controversial star “should be ashamed” for her tasteless display.
She was subsequently sacked from broadcaster CNN where she presented a new year’s eve show.
