Johnny Depp Apologizes for Trump Assassination Joke: “It Did Not Come Out as Intended”
Johnny Depp has sparked controversy for joking about assassinating Donald Trump during an appearance at a large festival in Britain, the latest example of artists using violent imagery when dealing with the president.
“When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?” Depp asked the crowd at Glastonbury Festival, in reference to the death of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth in 1865.
The 54-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star then added: “I want to qualify, I am not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it has been awhile and maybe it is time.”
“President Trump has condemned violence in all forms and it’s sad that others like Johnny Depp have not followed his lead,” the White House said in a statement, as quoted by ABC News. “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.”
The Secret Service in a statement said Friday it “is aware of the comments in question. For security reasons, we cannot discuss specifically nor in general terms the means and methods of how we perform our protective responsibilities.”
On Friday, Depp apologized for the remark.
“I apologize for the bad joke I attempted last night in poor taste about President Trump. It did not come out as…