Johnny Depp Reflects On 'Fantastic Beasts' Exit & Recasting Nearly 5 Years Later: 'F--k You'

Amid abuse allegations from his ex-wife Amber Heard, in 2018, the actor filed suit against The Sun after he was referred to as a "wife-beater." After he lost the UK trial in November 2020, Warner Bros. asked Depp to exit the Harry Potter prequel series. Before he stepped own, he had only shot one scene for the third installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and Depp was subsequently replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.

In an interview with The Telegraph published over the weekend, Depp, 62, reflected on being pushed out of his role -- and he did not hold back on sharing his feelings about Warner Bros' decision.

"Listen, they've said all kinds of things out there in the world about me, and it doesn’t bother me. I’m not running for office," he recalled. "It literally stopped in a millisecond, like, while I was doing the movie. They said we'd like you to resign. But what was really in my head was they wanted me to retire."

"F--k you," he added. "There's far too many of me to kill. If you think you can hurt me more than I've already been hurt you're gravely mistaken."

Depp made his first appearance as Grindelwald at the end of 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, before he reprised his role in the 2018 sequel, 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Warner Bros. announced Depp's exit in November 2020.

"Johnny Depp will depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise," the studio said at the time, per Deadline. "We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date. Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast."

Depp addressed the news in his own statement shared on his Instagram at the time.

"In light of recent events, I would like to make the following short statement," Depp wrote. "Firstly, I'd like to thank everybody who has gifted me with their support and loyalty. I have been humbled and moved by your many messages of love and concern, particularly over the last few days."

"Secondly, I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request," he continued.

Depp ended his statement by speaking out about the UK court's verdict, writing, "The surreal judgement of the court in the UK will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal."

"My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false," he concluded. "My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time."

Depp also sued Heard in 2019 for an op-ed in The Washington Post, in which she referred to herself as a "figure representing domestic abuse." That trial erupted in 2022, with the jury determining he was defamed and awarding him approximately $15 million in damages.

The trial was purportedly the reason Heard's role in the Aquaman sequel was drastically reduced, as shocking allegations from within their relationship emerged. Heard scored a minor victory herself, with the jury deciding statements made by Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman were defamatory -- and awarded her $2 million in compensatory damages.