Johnny Depp Victimized by Warner Bros 'Cruel' Decision, Says Former Colleague

Johnny Depp's former colleague, Caroline Thompson, saw Warner Bros.' decision to remove the actor from the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise as a cruel act.

After two installments, Depp said goodbye to his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the "Fantastic Beasts" film series.

The actor revealed that Warner Bros. has asked him to resign following his libel case defeat. Meanwhile, the studio pledged to recast the role and officially hailed Mads Mikkelsen as Depp's replacement.

Such a quick turn of events surprised even Depp's former workmate in "Edward Scissorhands."

The screenwriter recently sat for an interview with Insider, wherein she expressed her dismay over Warner Bros.' decision to remove the actor from the franchise.

According to Thompson, the removal of the 57-year-old Depp was "cruel." Despite that, she said she understands why the media giant decided to ask him to leave.

"There are fallouts from our hyper-sensitive times. Things go to extremes, and they have to. It's all apart of the zeitgeist we are experiencing right now," she said. "I hope he's okay."

Depp and Thompson worked together for several Tim Burton films, including "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Corpse Bride." Out of all the projects they made together, the two established a closer relationship during "Edward Scissorhands."

According to Thompson, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star would still give her margarita every morning even after they moved on and worked on different films.

Johnny Depp's Workmates Hope For The Best

Meanwhile, Thompson also told Insider that she is still in touch with "Edward Scissorhands" costume designer Colleen Atwood.

Atwood spent more time working with Depp throughout her career. In fact, she is still the current costume designer of the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.

Soon after the news about Depp emerged, Thompson reportedly contacted her again and talked about Depp.

"She's doing 'Fantastic Beasts' and she was doing a costume fitting with him when all this came down and I asked if he's okay, and she just said 'I hope so,'" Thompson sharedd. "The cruellest thing we could do to a human is to put them on display like that. That he's still alive is probably a miracle."

In the end, the screenwriter expressed her hope that the actor's career will soon recover from the scandal.

Furthermore, Thompson's agent reportedly asked her to write a script for Depp while she is not writing too much in the film industry.

"I hope he not only lives, but flourishes and gets through this, that's really how I feel about it," she went on after approving the idea.

What Thompson Thinks About the Verdict

Elsewhere in the interview, Thompson also noted the root cause of these troubles. She said that Depp's recent libel case defeat against The Sun is a "he-said-she-said bulls---."

After hearing the allegations against the actor, she told Insider that she felt sad. Still, she does not want to think something bad against Depp.

"I only want to think well of Johnny, and I know he's a sweet man. I suspect he's gotten really lost at times in his life," Thompson continued.

The final verdict of the libel case ruled in favor of The Sun. Judge Justice Nicol said that the evidence against the actor in the 2018 wife-beater article was "substantially true."

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