A joke referencing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in Ryan Gosling starrer movie ‘The Fall Guy’ sparked controversy over its implications, but the film’s writer has stepped forward to offer an explanation.
The line in question is delivered by Hannah Waddingham’s character, Gail Meyer, a producer in The Fall Guy. It occurs when Gail enters the trailer of her director, Jody Moreno (played by Emily Blunt), only to find the space in disarray.
In this scene, Gail quips, “It’s like Amber and Johnny were just in here,” which drew sharp criticism on social media for potentially trivializing issues related to domestic violence.
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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
Addressing the controversy in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Fall Guy’s screenwriter, Drew Pearce, explained that the intention behind the line was to depict Gail as a morally reprehensible character within the film.
“No decent human being would ever make a joke about that subject, and Gail’s character is clearly not a decent human being,” Pearce told a leading Hollywood publication. “She’s our villain, and she says horrible things, and this is just one of them. But just like what I hope continues to happen in our industry and others, Gail is ultimately held accountable for her worldview and her behavior.”
Johnny Depp and his ex-wife, Amber Heard, have been at the center of legal battles surrounding Heard’s allegations of domestic violence against Depp. In a verdict from June 2022, a jury ruled that Heard had defamed Depp.
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