Here's Johnny!
Fresh off a legal victory in a widely publicized defamation case court battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp appeared at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28.
The surprising cameo, in which his face appeared within a floating moon man during the show's opening, marked the most prominent public appearance in years for the Pirates of the Caribbean star, whose career has stalled amid his legal disputes. But it's clear he's trying to make a comeback: Earlier this month, he signed a seven-figure Dior endorsement deal.
While Depp, 59, promoted the Italian animated series Puffins in Europe last October, and continued his music career—performing with his group Hollywood Vampires and more recently, joining British rock musician Jeff Beck on tour this summer, the star had not attended a U.S. event celebrating his acting projects since he made a surprise appearance at the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald panel at 2018 Comic-Con.
The actor ultimately resigned from the next sequel in the Harry Potter prequel series by Warner Bros.' request after losing a libel case against a U.K. newspaper that had labeled him a "wife beater"—an allegation he denied.
Depp's participation in the 2022 MTV VMAs also marks his first major award show appearance since he attended the 2017 People's Choice Awards in Los Angeles, where he was honored with the Favorite Movie Icon award.
Depp has attended the VMAs only once before. At the 1999 ceremony, he appeared onstage to present Nine Inch Nails' musical performance.
Depp also attended the 2014 MTV Movie Awards, where he presented the honor for Movie of the Year to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, giving the award to cast members Josh Hutcherson and Sam Claflin. Two years earlier, Depp was honored at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards with the Generation Award and also performed with the The Black Keys. Overall, Depp has won five MTV Movie Awards.