The White House said Friday that it’s “sad” celebrities like actor Johnny Depp haven’t followed President Trump’s lead in condemning all forms of violence, after Depp joked about assassinating the president on Thursday.
“President Trump has condemned violence in all forms and it’s sad that others like Johnny Depp have not followed his lead,” a White House official said in a statement. “I hope that some of Mr. Depp’s colleagues will speak out against this type of rhetoric as strongly as they would if his comments were directed to a Democrat elected official.”
During remarks at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England, on Thursday, Depp said he thinks Trump “needs help,” and proceeded to joke about killing the president.
“This is going to be in the press, and it’ll be horrible, but I like that you’re all a part of it,” Depp told the crowd. “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?”
“I want to clarify — I am not an actor. I lie for a living,” Depp continued.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star isn’t the only celebrity to joke about killing Trump or insinuate violence against the president.
Last month, comedian Kathy Griffin published a controversial photo of herself holding what appeared to be Trump’s decapitated head. Griffin later said the photo was meant to parody comments the president made about Megyn Kelly.
This month, the Public Theatre in New York City was criticized for depicting Trump’s assassination during its production of “Julius Caesar.”
