Johnny Depp Sends Love to Family of ‘Pirates’ Star Killed by Shark

Johnny Depp has paid tribute to Pirates of the Caribbean co-star Tamayo Perry, who recently passed away following a tragic shark attack.

Hawaiian actor Perry, known for his role as a buccaneer in the franchise’s fourth film On Stranger Tides in 2011, died in June while surfing at Malaekahana Beach on the island of Oahu.

Depp, famous for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, shared a black-and-white photo of Perry with a surfboard on his Instagram Stories, writing, “Even though it was some years ago now, I remember Tamayo well. A lovely man, with a huge heart and zest for life… Emilia, I send you all my love and strength. You are in my thoughts. With love, Johnny.”

He also sent “love” to Perry’s family and shared a link to a GoFundMe page established to support Perry’s wife Emilia as she navigates life without her husband and best friend. The fundraiser has raised $112,643 (£87,622) so far, with a target of $200,000 (£155,575).

Whether Depp donated remains unclear, but the fundraiser has received anonymous donations exceeding $2,000 (£1,555).

The death of Perry, a “legendary waterman” who also appeared in The Bridge, Blue Crush, and Hawaii Five-0, was described as a “tragic loss” by local Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

Depp has not reprised his role as Jack Sparrow since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in 2017, despite plans for a sixth film in the series.

During his 2022 defamation trial against former wife and The Rum Diary co-star Amber Heard, Depp stated he would not return to the franchise. He also remarked, “They didn’t remove my character from the rides. They didn’t stop selling merchandise of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling anything. They just didn’t want there to be something trailing behind me that they’d find.”

The producer of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Jerry Bruckheimer, has shown interest in Depp’s return to the franchise.

Depp successfully sued Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which his lawyers argued falsely accused him of being an abuser.

Since then, Depp has returned to feature films, notably appearing in the French historical drama Jeanne Du Barry, where he played King Louis XV.

Additional reporting by Agencies.

Source: The Independent