Johnny Depp breaks silence on being dropped from Fantastic Beasts

Johnny Depp finally shares what happened.

Johnny Depp has addressed his departure from the Fantastic Beasts film series, offering his perspective on how the exit unfolded.

The actor said the studio requested that he resign during the filming of the third installment, shortly after a UK court ruled against him in a high-profile libel case.

“They said, ‘We’d like you to resign,’” Depp said in a recent interview. “I knew it was coming. And I said, ‘F*** you. No. You’re not going to get me to resign.’”

Depp portrayed the character Gellert Grindelwald in the first two Fantastic Beasts films. Following his exit, Warner Bros. recast the role with actor Mads Mikkelsen for the third entry, The Secrets of Dumbledore, released in 2022.

While discussing the period following his removal, Depp said the experience felt isolating and that he believed the studio no longer wanted him involved.

“They wanted me to just be gone. They wanted me to disappear,” he said.

Depp, now 61, is continuing to work on new projects. He is currently directing Modi, a biopic about artist Amedeo Modigliani, and is expected to star in the upcoming film Day Drinker alongside Jason Momoa.

Despite the challenges, Depp said he remains committed to creative work and has no plans to step back from acting or directing.