Jenna Ortega Ridicules Johnny Depp Dating Rumor

In a recent interview with Buzzfeed, Jenna Ortega revisited the rumor that she was dating actor Johnny Depp, which surfaced last fall. Ortega had previously debunked this speculation on her Instagram Story and remains astonished that it gained traction online. Here’s a look back at the rumor and what we know about it.

Ortega participated in Buzzfeed’s “Puppy Interview” series, a segment where celebrities field questions while accompanied by adorable dogs. When asked about the wildest rumor she has ever heard about herself, Ortega responded: “Probably that I was in a serious relationship with Johnny Depp, and that I wanted everybody to ‘leave us alone.’ It’s so insane to me! Like, I never spoke on that, I never said anything like that. Articles really do just make up their own quotes.”

The rumor originated from the Instagram account Deux Moi, which frequently shares unverified rumors about celebrities based on follower submissions. Although the account operators clarify that they are not conducting actual journalism, many followers seem to disregard this distinction. For Ortega, the idea of dating someone nearly 40 years her senior was laughable, though she found it troubling that many people believed it.

“But I thought that that was pretty hilarious,” she told Buzzfeed. “I was on set with Richard E. Grant, and he came up to me and he just said: ‘Oh, so you and Johnny?’ And I laughed, because I… I don’t know that person!”

When Ortega initially denied the rumor, she was more forthright. At the time, she wrote: “This is so ridiculous. I can’t even laugh. I have never met or worked with Johnny Depp in my life. Please stop spreading lies and leave us alone.”

Deux Moi had faced heavy criticism before this incident involving Ortega, and it has encountered backlash numerous times since. This case stood out because legitimate news outlets also lent the rumor undue credibility. A report by The Daily Mail speculated on the potential truth of Deux Moi’s rumor by noting that Ortega had recently collaborated with filmmaker Tim Burton on “Wednesday.” Burton is a longtime friend of Depp, and the report also mentioned that “Wednesday” is a Netflix project, as was the recent documentary “Depp v. Heard.” These tenuous links fueled unnecessary speculation.

Ortega has consistently worked to maintain her personal privacy, expressing to Vanity Fair her desire to keep her romantic life away from public scrutiny. The actress has a busy schedule with six upcoming projects listed on her IMDb page, including “Winter Spring Summer or Fall” which releases next Thursday, Sept. 5, and “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” set to premiere on Friday, Sept. 6.

Source: Buzzfeed, The Daily Mail, Vanity Fair