Rihanna fans are rightfully excited about the prospect of new music from the recently reclusive Rated R singer. In addition to contributing the touching ballad “Lift Me Up” to the upcoming Wakanda Forever soundtrack, her new flurry of activity also includes a Super Bowl Halftime Show, a rumored stadium tour, and maybe even a new album, which she appears to be rehearsing or recording (if Charlie Puth is to be believed). She’s also gearing up for Vol. 4 of her Savage X Fenty fashion show, but some fans have a bone to pick with that last one.
According to TMZ, it was reported that the show will feature an appearance from Johnny Depp in some capacity. This is, of course, after Depp most recently made headlines for his role in a highly-publicized and controversial domestic abuse lawsuit with ex-wife Amber Heard. Heard accused Depp of abuse, prompting him to sue her for defamation, alleging that she was the one who had abused him and that he’d lost work as a result of her allegations. Heard countersued, and in the end, both were awarded compensatory damages.
Of course, Rihanna was embroiled in an abuse scandal of her own not so long ago, so to some fans, her endorsement of Johnny Depp rings inappropriate.
everyone shocked that rihanna supports johnny depp, a rapist, abuser & groomer as if she wasn’t posing with nicki minaj and her sex offender husband last year. Like Rihanna didn’t give an “all lives matter” segment at the height of Israeli terrorism towards Palestine last year.
— inqilāb (@tastefullysaucy) November 3, 2022
Rihanna giving Johnny Depp clout is actually a really good example of why it means nothing when someone says “as a victim of domestic violence, I support JD”. Like sorry that you went through that however it is still very not OK to support abusers!!!
— Rich Clarkophile (@exposingrich) November 3, 2022
everyone shocked that rihanna supports johnny depp as if she wasn’t posing with nicki minaj and her sex offender husband last year
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(@texasreznkoff) November 3, 2022
rihanna can’t be serious? with all these beautiful and unproblematic men in hollywood, and johnny depp is the one that appeals to you the most?
— Kat (@feneptune_) November 3, 2022
Rihanna dropped Draya for making inappropriate abuse jokes but is giving Johnny Depp (an abusive piece of shitt) a segment on her show. What even is the correlation??
— Beyonce follows her (@MsAdaO) November 3, 2022
And while some are painting it in a positive light, arguably it might have been better to skirt the issue altogether.