As excitement mounts for the imminent theatrical debut of the action-comedy movie ‘The Fall Guy,’ featuring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, a debate has arisen concerning a specific piece of dialogue in the film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, directed by David Leitch, the movie includes a scene in which Hannah Waddingham’s character, Gail Meyer, alludes to the turbulent relationship of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
In the particular scene, Waddingham’s character enters a trailer appearing disheveled and comments to director Jody Moreno, portrayed by Blunt, “It’s like Amber and Johnny were just in here.”
This sole line has sparked a torrent of criticism on social media platforms.
Reacting to the scene, one user on X expressed disdain, stating, “‘The Fall Guy’ made a distasteful ‘joke’ about the domestic abuse Amber suffered at the hands of Johnny. It’s 2024, why are we writing these kinds of lines into movies? Nasty work.”
“the fall guy” made a distasteful “joke” about the domestic abuse amber suffered at the hands of johnny. it’s 2024, why are we writing these kinds of lines into movies? nasty work https://t.co/n1eCsM2o38
— lily (@lavfeysun) April 23, 2024
Another individual on social media questioned the humor behind the purported joke, emphasizing, “Would love to ask the writer what he thinks is so funny about domestic violence.”
everyone should be aware that the new “comedy” movie The Fall Guy (which is getting a wide theatrical release in a few weeks) allegedly makes a cheap Amber / J*hnny joke. would love to ask the writer what he thinks is so funny about domestic violence…
— shane russo (@shxnerusso) April 22, 2024
The controversy is exacerbated by the extensively documented legal clashes between Depp and Heard. The couple’s widely publicized marriage and subsequent separation in 2015 attracted considerable media scrutiny. Their legal conflicts intensified in 2019 when Depp filed a defamation lawsuit against Heard concerning an op-ed she penned about domestic violence, even though Depp was not explicitly mentioned in the piece.
Following a prolonged court battle marked by sensational allegations from both sides, Depp prevailed on all defamation claims, whereas Heard succeeded on one claim and received damages. Against this backdrop, the inclusion of a reference to their relationship in ‘The Fall Guy’ has resonated with many viewers. ‘The Fall Guy’ is set to premiere in theaters this Friday.