Years & Years singer Olly Alexander is taking a hard stance after it was announced that Johnny Depp will be spotlighted at Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 show.
TMZ broke the news on Thursday, citing an anonymous source that told the publication that Rihanna and her team invited the controversial actor to be the first man featured in a “star moment” during her upcoming Savage X Fenty Vol. 4, dropping on Amazon Prime Video next week.
It immediately sparked backlash due to Depp's accusations of domestic violence by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, and the extremely public trial that took place earlier this year. While that trial was not about whether or not any abuse was actually perpetrated, a prior UK trial found that there was sufficient evidence that the actor had committed violence against Heard on at least 12 specific occasions, allowing for publications in the country to call him a “wife beater” without retaliation.
Rihanna’s alleged inclusion of Depp in her show is so completely out of the left field that people have taken it as a pointed stance to show support for him. Needless to say, not everyone is happy about it.
Alexander was among those to immediately voice his disappointment regarding this decision, initially sharing an exaggerated frown emoticon while retweeting a post about it.
The singer has previously partnered with Savage X Fenty and appeared in the brand’s Valentine’s campaign earlier this year.
As such, a fan questioned Alexander’s response, prompting him to make his stance perfectly clear. “Thank you but after this news I won’t be wearing it anymore,” he replied.
Unsurprisingly, this has prompted controversy for Alexander himself, as Depp stans rushed into his mentions to spread misinformation with their claims that the actor had been proven innocent, or that Heard herself had been proven to be an abuser.
Alas, many others were grateful to see the performer stand his moral ground, with one fan writing: “Thank you for taking a stand on this, Olly. So many people wouldn’t for fear of offending their fanbase.”
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