Johnny Depp won't return to 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise, says representative

Recent report claimed the actor had signed a $301 million deal with Disney to return

Johnny Depp said he lost the lucrative role in the film franchise because of accusations by ex-wife Amber Heard. Photo: Disney

Johnny Depp’s return as Jack Sparrow to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise won’t be happening anytime soon.

A representative for the actor has denied a recent report that claimed Depp would be reprising his role, thanks to a $301 million deal with Disney.

"This is made up," Depp's representative told NBC News.

The star played Captain Jack Sparrow in all five movies, the latest one being the 2017 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Back in May, Jerry Bruckheimer, who is a producer for the films, was asked if the Edward Scissorhands star would be back for future projects. "Not at this point," he told The Sunday Times. "The future is yet to be decided."

Earlier this month, Depp won a high-profile defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. During the trial, he also claimed the accusations by Heard were the reason he lost the lucrative role in the film franchise.

A Virginia jury awarded $15 million to Depp while Heard was awarded $2m in damages after a star-studded, six-week trial that captivated the world and highlighted little-known details from the lives of the two Hollywood stars.

Depp had brought the case against Heard, claiming the actress had defamed him in an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018, in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse.

He said Heard's column had precipitated an "endless barrage of hateful content" that had a "seismic impact on my life and on my career".

"And six years later, the jury gave my life back. I am truly humbled," Depp posted on Instagram after the verdict had been revealed.

Though Depp was never mentioned in the Post column by name, the actor said the article caused him to lose work in Hollywood. Heard countersued, saying Depp's lawyer had smeared her by calling her abuse claims "a hoax" in another newspaper article.

In her own statement, Heard said the verdict was a setback for other women.

“The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband," Heard said.

"It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously."

Depp and Heard met in 2011 while filming The Rum Diary and wed in February 2015. Their divorce was finalised about two years later.