Can Johnny Depp Stage a Hollywood Comeback After Legal Victory?

variety.com:

Johnny Depp scored a clear and unexpected victory in court last week. His attorney, Ben Chew, implored the Virginia jury to restore his name, his reputation and his career, and the jury responded — finding that Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, had defamed him when accusing him of domestic violence.But while jury verdicts are binary — liable or not liable, guilty or not guilty — Hollywood does not work that way.

Depp has suffered tremendous reputational damage, much of it self-inflicted, and still has a lot of work to do if he wants to revive his career.“It’s not a light-switch,” says Howard Bragman, a crisis consultant to celebrity clients. “It’s a road back.”In Depp’s favor, the trial mobilized a passionate, digitally savvy fan base, and gave him a platform to triumph while owning his flaws.

But even if the general public accepts the jury’s verdict, he was still revealed to be self-pitying, drug-addled and profoundly entitled.

His over-the-top misogyny may also hurt his appeal with many women, who once comprised an important part of Depp’s fandom. “We don’t have to guess whether there is a potential for backlash,” says Howard Breuer, a PR consultant. “If producers are thinking, ‘Is anybody going to pounce on us if we’re the first to cast Johnny Depp?’ — the answer is yes.