Johnny Depp, addressing the narrative of his Hollywood 'comeback,' firmly declared at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival that he never went anywhere. These comments were made during a press conference for his new film, "Jeanne Du Barry," and come nearly a year after his highly publicized defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard.

The 59-year-old star candidly shared his sentiments on the perception of his career following the tumultuous trial, admitting, "You'd have to not have a pulse at that point to feel like, 'No, none of this is happening. This is actually just a weird joke.'"

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor confessed he felt sidelined by the industry, particularly when he was asked to resign from a film due to the controversies surrounding him. "Of course, when you're asked to resign from the film you're doing because of something that is merely a bunch of vowels and consonants floating in the air, yeah, you feel a bit boycotted," he said.

However, Depp expressed a sense of resolution and nonchalance towards Hollywood, stating, "Do I feel boycotted now? No, not at all. But I don't feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don't think about it. I don't think about Hollywood. I don't have much further need for Hollywood myself."

His controversial legal battle with Heard concluded in December 2022, following a court order in June for Heard to pay Depp $10.35 million in damages, and for Depp to pay Heard $2 million. The two settled on a final payment of $1 million from Heard to Depp, which he pledged to donate to charity.

Depp also dispelled the notion of a 'comeback,' insisting he hadn't left the industry, despite the narrative being peddled. He humorously added, "I keep wondering about the word comeback because I didn't go anywhere. As a matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away. So yeah, maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at the time. But no, I didn't go nowhere. I've been sitting around."

He joked about the term 'comeback,' equating it to a tap dance performance, aimed to appease the public. Depp continued, "The notion of something like that is a bizarre mystery."

In closing, Depp referred to the majority of what's been written about him and his life as "fantastically, horrifically written fiction," a clear jab at Heard’s domestic abuse allegations, which he continues to deny.