WATCH | Johnny Depp is teary-eyed as he receives standing ovation at Cannes for Jeanne du Barry

Johnny Depp's emotions were on display as his latest film, Jeanne du Barry, received a standing ovation lasting seven minutes at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday (16 May). Directed by Maïwenn, this French-language film opened the festival this year in what has been described as a controversial move. Ramin Setoodeh, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Variety, captured the moment and tweeted, "Johnny Depp tears up as #Cannes2023 showers him with a seven-minute standing ovation at the premiere of 'Jeanne du Barry,' " alongside a video from the event on the French Riviera. In the video, the 59-year-old actor can be seen covering his face with his hands before embracing the director.

Cannes director Thierry Fremaux has faced criticism for selecting Depp's movie as the festival opener, given the allegations made against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard during their highly publicised defamation trial last year. Depp was accused by Heard of mentally and physically abusing her during their relationship. Heard and Depp met in 2009 when they worked opposite each other in The Rum Diary. After dating for four years, they married in 2015.

The trial captured attention not only due to the involvement of the two celebrities but also because it revealed the tumultuous details of their contentious marriage. The trial received extensive media coverage and was even televised, resulting in edited clips surfacing on social media platforms like TikTok, often with a biased focus on Depp.

Depp was the winner of the trial, which was held at Fairfax, Virginia. He had sued Heard for an op-ed she had penned for the Washington Post titled "I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change". While she had not named him, Depp filed for defamation anyway.

Depp was awarded $10 million in damages. Heard was awarded $2 million in damages as well for being "defamed" by Heard's lawyer who had accused her of creating a hoax. Heard has repeatedly accused Depp of physical and mental violence, which Depp has denied.

Before Fairfax, Depp had lost a defamation trial in London against the News Group Newspapers for libel as the tabloid The Sun owned by the company had called him a "wife-beater." The judge found Heard's claims "substantially true".