A two-year-old petition calling for Johnny Depp's return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has started to circulate in the midst of his defamation trial against Amber Heard.

Fans of Depp have resurrected a Change.org petition from 2020 calling for the Walt Disney Company to bring the actor back into the role of Captain Jack Sparrow for the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. According to the petition, this decision was "due to his ex-wife Amber Heard lying and stating that Depp beat her," and that since it "has been proven that he did not hit her" Depp should be rehired by Disney for the next Pirates movie.

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"Please have a change of heart and do not release that movie without Johnny Depp," the petition writer said, addressing the Walt Disney Company directly. "Yes, you may be saving money without him, but nobody in this world cares about that movie if it does not have him in it. Reconsider your decision!!" Depp has portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in all five Pirates of the Caribbean films, starting with Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Depp became so popular in the role that another petition began circulating in 2022, with fans demanding the actor's return as Captain Jack for the sixth installment in the franchise.

In December 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post wherein she recounted her experiences with domestic abuse. Depp filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard in March 2019 claiming that she lied in her piece; Heard filed a $100 million countersuit against Depp for defamation as well. During the trial, Heard recounted experiences of alleged physical abuse and sexual assault during her marriage to Depp.

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During the trial, it was alleged by Depp's agent, Christian Carino, that the actor had lost his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 6 as a result of Heard's op-ed, which cost him a nearly $22.5 million paycheck from Disney. Depp also stated during the trial that even if Disney were to come back with an offer for his return, "nothing on this earth" would get him to return for the sixth Pirates film.

In November 2020, Depp was also asked by Warner Bros. to step down from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore following his messy, public divorce from Heard. This led to a long legal battle between the actor and The Sun, who sued the British tabloid for libel after a headline referred to him as a "wife-beater," a fight he would ultimately lose. Depp claimed that he was being blacklisted by Hollywood as a result, and the actor issued a statement taking a stand against "cancel culture" and implored his fans to do the same.

Source: Change.org