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 Depp, 57, best known as the
swaggering Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the
Caribbean" franchise, had sued a British tabloid
that labeled him a "wife beater" during his
tempestuous relationship with his ex-wife,
actress Amber Heard.
Depp had told the court he was never violent
towards his ex-wife and his lawyers described
the ruling as "perverse as it is bewildering",
and said it would be ridiculous for him not to
appeal.
Matthew Belloni, former editorial director of
the Hollywood Reporter, said the sordid details
of the short-lived marriage had been aired so
often in recent years that the London verdict
likely had little impact in the industry.
"There is a sense in Hollywood that Johnny Depp
is a tainted brand, and his dominance of the box
office in the 2000s has come to an end," said
Belloni.
Depp has often played offbeat characters and has
an army of fans using social media hashtags like
#JusticeForJohnnyDepp who reacted angrily to
Monday's verdict.
But incidents like head butting and scrawling
graffiti in blood that were recounted in the
July trial were at odds with Depp's
family-friendly films like the "Pirates" and
"Fantastic Beasts" franchises.
"I think this is the final nail in the coffin of
Johnny Depp's brand," said celebrity branding
expert Jeetendr Sehdev. "The verdict does not
align with that image."
Disney, which has been working on a reboot of
the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, did
not respond to queries on Monday about Depp's
future. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said in a May
interview that it was unclear what Depp's role
would be in a sixth film.
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 Depp's casting as villain
Gellert Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts" had
already provoked controversy in 2017. But he is
on board for a third appearance in the Warner
Bros. franchise, which began shooting last
month. Warner Bros. did not respond to a request
for comment on Monday.
Depp is also the face of fashion house Dior's
male fragrances. Dior did not respond to a
request for comment about its future
relationship with the actor.
Belloni said that while
Hollywood studios "are not clamoring to be in
the Depp business anymore," the actor's career
was far from over.
"He's always going to work if he wants to
because he is a talented actor and there will be
smaller films that will cast him. If one of
those became a major hit, he may be back,"
Belloni said, recalling the comeback of Robert
Downey Jr as "Iron Man" eight years after
serving a year in prison for drug possession.
Heard's Hollywood profile is smaller. She is
expected to start production in mid-2021 on "Aquaman
2" but Sehdev said producers "would do well to
increase her role in that movie."
"She should absolutely reap the benefits of her
bravery. Sentiment is changing where we do
believe victims and we recognize that there is a
darker side to Hollywood," Sehdev added,
referring to the criminal sexual assault
convictions of producer Harvey Weinstein and
comedian Bill Cosby.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, Editing by Rosalba
O'Brien)
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