Johnny Depp to receive San Sebastian Film Festival's highest award amid controversies

Johnny Depp is slated to receive a San Sebastian Film Festival award despite of his ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard, and the controversy surrounding it. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor will receive the Donostia Award, the film festival's highest accolade. Read on for more information -

Johnny Depp set to receive a San Sebastian Film Festival award

According to a report by People Magazine, Johnny Depp will receive San Sebastian Film Festival's highest accolade, which is the Donostia Award. The award has previously been given to actors like Meryl Streep, Ian McKellen, Denzel Washington, Danny DeVito, Dame Judi Dench, Hugh Jackman, Bette Davis and several other merit-worthy actors. The festival will begin on September 17 and end on September 25.

According to the report, the festival describes Depp as, "one of contemporary cinema's most talented and versatile actors". The report also states that Depp will receive his award, mid-festival, on September 22. The Sweeney Todd actor attended the festival last year to present the documentary Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane McGowan, for which he served as a producer. Depp will be honoured with the award despite his ongoing controversial and highly publicized legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard. 

About Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's divorce controversy

Upon Johnny Depp's divorce with Amber Heard in 2017, the Aquaman actress was granted a $7 million settlement which she said she pledged to the ACLU and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. While the two seemed to have settled their issues at the time, with Heard even announcing that their relationship was simply "passionate" but sometimes "volatile", in 2018 things took a turn.

In 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed piece for Washington Post where she claimed she was a survivor of domestic violence. This in-turn led to Depp then filing a $50 million defamation lawsuit against her, which is still an ongoing battle. Depp and his lawyers also filed an appeal for permission to determine whether Heard had donated the money she pledged to the ACLU. 

Depp recently exited the role of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spinoff series, Fantastic Beasts, as he was asked to resign by the network. On the other hand, Amber Heard is slated to appear in Aquaman 2, along with Jason Momoa. 

IMAGE - AP