Keep swigging that rum, Captain Jack Sparrow.
Despite the controversy that has been Johnny Depp's divorce to Amber Heard, Disney CEO Bob Iger says he's "not worried" about the actor's reflection on the company.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Iger brushed off Depp's "personal problems" (the largest of which being allegations the actor has physically abused Heard), expressing indifference on the scandal as a whole:
"...Johnny Depp's personal problems?" THR's Matthew Belloni inquired.
"Not worried about it," Iger said.
"The scandal will pass?" Belloni continued.
"I don't know whether it passes or not. We have Jack Sparrow," Iger replied.
"You think people separate," Belloni elaborated.
"Right," Iger finished.
Iger, who has been CEO of Disney since 2005, has a point: Pirates of the Caribbean's Captain Jack Sparrow is not Johnny Depp. The two are entirely separate characters living in separate worlds, and what goes on in Depp's world is not in Disney's control.
Still, it's surprising that his response to this very sensitive, contentious issue was so flippant. Whether it was Iger's intention or not, brushing off any controversy even remotely involving domestic abuse is unwise. It would have been perfectly appropriate to decline to comment. Instead, he made a conscious decision to demonstrate apathy. But hey, he already "has Jack Sparrow." Why should he care?
30-year-old Heard filed for divorce May 23 after 15 months of marriage, followed by a request for a domestic abuse restraining order, which she was granted. Photos were subsequently released of facial bruises Heard claimed were the product of that abuse. At the time, she requested custody of one of their two dogs and $50,000 a month in temporary spousal support to cover lawyer fees and cost of living. Ultimately, however, she rejected Depp's initial counter-offer of $50,000/month for eight months in exchange for not a domestic abuse restraining order, but a mutual restraining order. Her decision to reject was apparently on the basis that she hadn't been the violent party, and that a mutual restraining order would be pointless, not to mention an obvious bid from Depp's camp to extend blame under public scrutiny.
Days later, the actress retracted her request for that temporary spousal support entirely, stating that she'd realized it was being "used against me to distract and divert the public away from the very serious real issue of domestic violence."
While the estranged couple's domestic violence hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, that hearing has been pushed to August 15 and 16 after a request from Depp's attorney Laura Wasser.
Heard's temporary restraining order will be enforced until then.
