Johnny Depp, renowned for his role in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” saga, has generated a stir amongst friends in London for an unexpected rapport with an unlikely partner: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.
The tie, as detailed by Vanity Fair, sprouted in the summer of 2022. Depp, then 60, was occupied with “Jeanne du Barry,” a French period drama. Amid the regularity of filming, a peculiar request arrived: MBS’s kin, Prince Badr bin Farhan Al Saud, wished for a meeting.
Depp initially resisted, vocalising his reluctance, “I didn’t sign up for this.” Nevertheless, Prince Badr’s significant investment in the film via the Red Sea Film Fund was persuasive. Depp ultimately conceded, paving the way to a unique relationship with MBS himself.
In 2023, Depp’s time in Saudi Arabia tallied to over seven weeks. Royal palaces served as his dwellings; he traversed the nation in yachts and helicopters, even journeying to London on MBS’s personal aircraft for the Jeff Beck Memorial Concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
Documentation shows Depp attending a screening in Saudi Arabia. With MBS, an “authentic connection” was born. The peculiarity of this new alliance initially stunned everyone, yet it eventually settled into acceptance.
Their bond is grounded in appreciation for cinema, culture, and regional development. But they elect not to delve into the tumultuous topic of global politics, a source shared with The Post.
Inside sources hint that Depp may entertain a yearly contract, worth seven figures, to endorse Saudi Arabia’s cultural renaissance.
Admitting initial naivety, Depp acknowledged the cultural tide shift he witnessed in Saudi Arabia, from inventive youths producing intriguing narratives and artistic displays to growing film landscape and an increased appetite for innovation.
His travels to Saudi have proven therapeutic, a friend mentioned. This remark hints at Saudi Arabia’s stringent alcohol prohibition.
Earlier in 2022, court images portrayed an intoxicated Depp unconscious on hotel furnishings, as stated by his former spouse Amber Heard during their defamation trial, a case Heard lost.
Heard, on the stand, described scenarios of Depp losing consciousness after excessive drinking, instances that he would later deny or forget. His past partner, Ellen Barkin, recounted similar experiences in her deposition during the trial.
Sina Taleb, a French socialite, reportedly connected Depp with Prince Badr, which subsequently led to Depp’s unusual connection with MBS.
When Taleb and Badr discussed the possibility of more heavyweight Hollywood actors endorsing the Saudi film industry, the notion of investing in film surfaced, aligning perfectly with MBS’s “Vision 2030” agenda.
Jonathan Grey, another Hollywood insider, shared that the Prince is a sci-fi fan. The element of escapism in these worlds so detached from reality appeals to him narrated Grey.
In a striking conversation, Depp inquired MBS about the mysterious demise of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, slain and disassembled by Saudi agents in 2018. MBS, in response to Depp’s question, denied ordering the act, contradicting a 2021 US intel report that implicated him.
Only time will reveal whether this is merely a temporary alliance or an enduring friendship, the tale of Depp and MBS far from over, we shall watch it play against the grand backdrop of a kingdom undergoing a cultural rebirth.
