Johnny Depp delivers parting shot as he and Amber Heard leave Gold Coast
AUSTRALIAN biosecurity ambassadors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard left a cryptic message as they flew out of the Gold Coast on a private jet bound for Los Angeles late yesterday.
Entertainment
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WAS it a parting shot, a plug for a mate’s book or a clue to an upcoming project?
Australian biosecurity ambassadors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard left a cryptic message as they flew out of the Gold Coast on a private jet bound for Los Angeles late yesterday.
Depp held the front cover of Bruce Robinson’s novel They All Love Jack up to his car window as he and Heard arrived at Gold Coast Airport just after 4pm.
Written by Withnail and I author Bruce Robinson, They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper outlines a new theory on the serial killer centred on Freemasonry and a huge establishment cover up.
Robinson’s research identifies a Masonic grand organist as the real Jack.
If the reference was a playful poke at Aussie politician Barnaby Joyce, it’s unlikely he’ll care.
The couple have made the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture a viral hit thanks to the creepy, deal-breaking “hostage-style” apology video they recorded on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
Negotiated as part of Heard’s penalty for breaking Australia’s quarantine laws by not declaring she had brought pets Pistol and Boo into the country, the 40-second comeuppance video has had more than 1.2 million views and reached 2.1 million people in the 24 hours since it was uploaded to Mr Joyce’s Facebook page on Monday.
The “priceless” free ad for Australian biosecurity protocols clocked up 5000 likes in 24 hours compared with the more modest 500 likes his most popular posts normally attract.
“It’s gone off like a frog in a sock,” Mr Joyce said.
The video and its stars have been mocked around the world by comedians including Ricky Gervais and Australian YouTube favourite Natalie Tran, whose spoof video makes it look like Depp and Heard are being forced to plead their remorse at gunpoint.
Mr Joyce added insult to injury with his own critique of the actors’ work.
“As far as me directing that atrocious movie, no. Even I could have done a little bit better than that,” he said.
“Do it again Johnny. Do it with gusto. Rise to the camera, old trout, rise to the camera.”
Celebrity agent Max Markson said securing the celebrity endorsement for taxpayers’ benefit free of charge was a masterstroke.
“It’s a great victory for Barnaby,” he said.
“He should have got them to do an endorsement for him for the seat of New England while they were there.”
Mr Markson said Depp and Heard would normally command up to $10 million to endorse a product or cause.
“It’s a smart way to negotiate the settlement. There’s no value in imprisoning Amber Heard or Johnny Depp,” he said.
“This is a way for them to say they are sorry that is also a great community service.
“The Federal Government can use it to nullify any humour that came into the situation and refocus attention on what is a serious issue.
“You can’t break the rules of the land.”
After a gruelling day in court on Monday, Depp and Heard spent yesterday unwinding on the rooftop terrace of their luxury condo at Palazzo Versace with a female companion.
The couple is heading home to Los Angeles to reunite with “terrier-gate” pooches Pistol and Boo and celebrate Heard’s 30th birthday on Friday.
Queensland Law Society president Bill Potts said it was not unusual for prosecutors and defendants to negotiate mutually acceptable resolutions to matters before the court.
“Pleading saves money and time and is of benefit to the court system,” he said.
“Apart from her daytime job looking elegant on the arm of Mr Depp, Ms Heard is doing a good public service to Australia to draw international attention to would be visitors to our beautiful country that our laws in relation to biosecurity can result in prosecutions and that they are there to be abided.
“This is not a case of her receiving rough justice or being treated “pawly” by the Australian authorities. It’s simply a warning to everybody that our laws are not to be flouted.”
Mr Potts said it was unusual to have “500 megawatt star power to advertise the fact that people shouldn’t commit offences”.
“The plight of Amber Heard and her puppies demonstrates that remorse can be shown to be provided through the megaphone of publicity,” he said.
“For the magistrate to have decided that the appropriate penalty was no conviction and to impose a $1000 recognisance to be of good behaviour means the magistrate accepted that it is a serious offence but that this was not a serious example of the offence.”
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