Rihanna might regret featuring Johnny Depp in Savage x Fenty show - MSNBC

It looks similar Rihanna has go the latest powerbroker to motion connected to actor Johnny Depp’s reputational-rehabilitation tour-post-defamation trial triumph lap.

It’s nary astonishment that Depp would leap astatine the accidental to beryllium co-signed by 1 of the astir chic, palmy and beloved women connected earth. But what’s successful it for Rihanna? 

It’s nary astonishment that Depp would leap astatine the accidental to beryllium co-signed by 1 of the astir chic, palmy and beloved women connected earth. But what’s successful it for Rihanna?

On Thursday, TMZ broke the quality that Depp volition beryllium a "surprise" impermanent successful Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Vol. 4 manner show, which is acceptable to watercourse connected Amazon Prime connected Nov. 9. Depp's quality volition reportedly beryllium pre-taped, providing 1 of the show’s “star moments.” Depp is the archetypal antheral to beryllium fixed specified an honor. 

The vibe? “Cool and chic.” 

Because thing says “cool and chic” similar an aging, grizzled movie prima with a past of allegations of home abuse. (Depp has denied allegations of abuse; successful his defamation suit against erstwhile woman Amber Heard a assemblage recovered Heard liable for 3 counts of defamation and Depp liable for 1 number of defamation.)

TMZ besides reported that Rihanna and her squad actively sought Depp’s information successful the Fenty show, and that “both sides were ace excited to marque it happen.”

As is wont to hap these days, this small morsel of quality acceptable disconnected an contiguous net firestorm — particularly due to the fact that Rihanna is herself a subsister of home violence. (In 2009, her then-boyfriend, Chris Brown, was arrested aft physically attacking her. He yet pleaded blameworthy to felony assault.) Some radical (aka Johnny Depp Stans) were elated by the quality of Depp’s cameo, seeing Rihanna’s tendency to enactment with the histrion arsenic confirmation of his innocence — arsenic though Rihanna’s survivorhood inherently affirmed Depp’s. Others, predominantly Rihanna fans, expressed fearfulness and disorder arsenic to wherefore the entrepreneur and creator would usage her level to boost Depp’s. The determination struck immoderate arsenic particularly befuddling successful airy of the information that she had antecedently chopped ties with exemplary Draya Michele for making a gag glamorizing home violence successful 2020.

Rihanna’s prime to feature this peculiar dude astatine this peculiar infinitesimal is surely head-scratching. Here’s a feline who texted his friends astir the ways successful which helium would brutally execution his ex-wife, and what helium would bash to her “rotting corpse.” A feline who a U.K. tribunal ruled could not situation the court's rejection of his suit against a quality steadfast that labeled him a “wife beater.” This feline is the look of a size-inclusive women-centric lingerie brand? In the twelvemonth of our lord 2022?

But Rihanna is a businesswoman; the billionaire mogul down Savage X Fenty and Fenty Beauty. Nothing sways people’s values successful a late-stage capitalist nine rather similar a large abdominous paycheck. And close now, Depp is an in-demand moneymaker, idiosyncratic that the affluent and celebrated person heartily embraced backmost into the fold.

In a mode Depp's instrumentality to prominence arsenic an anti-hero idol successful this peculiar infinitesimal makes consciousness astatine a clip erstwhile everything that was aged and retired is caller and successful again. After years trapped successful isolated pandemic land, radical are angrier, more cynical and much nihilistic. The post-9/11 “indie sleaze,” I-don’t-give-a-f--- aesthetic is making a comeback, and with it, a greater tendency to propulsion backmost connected immoderate communicative that feels excessively easy. Depp is complicated, edgy, and occupies the liminal abstraction betwixt perpetrator and victim. He’s taste catnip.

Depp's instrumentality to prominence arsenic an anti-hero idol successful this peculiar infinitesimal makes consciousness astatine a clip erstwhile everything that was aged and retired is caller and successful again.

At the extremity of the summer, Depp made a astonishment quality astatine the MTV Video Movie Awards, playing the channel’s mascot, the Moonman. He besides was tapped to nonstop a biopic produced by Al Pacino, and the aforesaid period helium signed a seven-figure, multiyear woody with Dior to proceed arsenic the look of its men’s fragrance, Sauvage. (According to WWD, the fragrance saw a “hearty summation successful sales” aft Depp won the defamation suit against Heard successful June.) Even the costumes of Jack Sparrow, Depp’s quality successful “Pirates of the Caribbean,” got a fiscal boost. It’s imaginable Rihanna is conscionable jumping connected the bandwagon, hoping her gamble pays off.

The lone question that remains is whether Rihanna misjudged her audience. The outcry has been large from astatine slightest a conception of her people demographic. A batch of women don’t privation their sexy and affordable lingerie with a broadside of sleazy alleged abuser. I conjecture we’ll spot if they proceed to bargain what Depp — and now, Rihanna — is present selling.