On Fantastic Beasts and Johnny Depp

I'm reviving this dead blog (sorry about that, by the way) to tell you how my biggest childhood passion just crashed. Yes, I'm talking about Harry Potter, and about J. K. Rowling's statement regarding Johnny Depp - an abuser and, yes, an actor in the Fantastic Beasts movies.

I'll give you a little background. Those of you who are all caught up, you can skip a paragraph ahead. Johnny Depp was married to Amber Heard, until she filed for divorce and told the world that Depp had been physically and verbally abusing her during their relationship. She had photos and videos of her bruised face and smashed wine bottles, and statements from two other witnesses, iO Tillett Wright and Raquel Pennington, to support her case. You can read about it here and here. Depp denied the whole thing and they eventually reached a settlement. On December 7th, J. K. Rowling released this statement, saying that she is happy with the decision to keep Depp in the Fantastic Beasts movies as Gellert Grindelwald. Here are some Tweets and a short Tumblr post that basically summarize the whole thing.

I am absolutely outraged and disgusted with what Rowling wrote. Even though Amber Heard dropped her case against Johnny Depp, it's clear that she did so to avoid conflict, and that Depp is an awful person. Continuing to employ Johnny Depp normalizes abuse and abusive relationships, and supports the abuser. This is something that we cannot allow to happen. It especially hurts that this is coming from the Harry Potter franchise, as many of us grew up on these books and movies and are very excited that there are finally new materials coming out when we are already in the fandom (Pottermore Presents short stories, Cursed Child, and, of course, the Fantastic Beasts movies). Also, Harry Potter was himself abused as a child, and it is extremely hypocritical to write seven books about an abused main character and to change the world with it, and then to give an abuser the A-Okay. I urge you to read J. K. Rowling's statement (here, again) and see for yourself that it sounds very calm and timid and doesn't actually confront the issue head-on. I am very disappointed with Rowling and with director David Yates (who defends the decision here) and I will not be seeing the next Fantastic Beasts movies in theaters.

Yep, you read that right. I'm not going to see the next Fantastic Beasts movies in theaters or pay money for them on VOD (or any other form of watching movies at home) until Johnny Depp is fired, and I urge you to do the same. If we boycott Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, it might have a real effect.

~A Very Somber Tal