MTV watchers were largely underwhelmed by Johnny Depp’s appearance at the 2022 VMAs on Sunday, which merely featured his face superimposed on a floating “Moon Person” suit, joking, “I needed the work.”
Fans mocked the “big comeback” and “big redemption arc” for the actor, whose career took a major hit in his messy divorce from ex Amber Heard. Depp appeared a few times at the beginning of the show, including a moment where he joked about accepting any kind of work — and that was that, as he wasn’t seen inside the moon person helmet again.
Several people took issue with MTV showcasing the actor, who was accused of verbal and physical abuse by Heard. “The Johnny Depp moon man is so creepy … i know they did this for buzz and to go viral on twitter but this is just a dumb and embarrassing move to generate attention to this lackluster award show,” tweeted a woman named Dominique.
Depp won his highly publicized defamation case against Heard in June, seemingly paving the way for him to re-enter Hollywood’s atmosphere. As was the case during the trial, the Internet split into Team Johnny and Team Amber: One fan praised Depp’s “ability to poke fun at himself” while another detractor called it a “jumpscare.”
For what it’s worth, Depp previously donned a spacesuit in the ’90s movie “The Astronaut’s Wife.”
