The director of the San Sebastian Film Festival has defended decision to honor the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor despite domestic violence allegations.

• Aug 14, 2021

AceShowbiz - The director of the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain has defended a decision to fete Johnny Depp at this year's (21) event, insisting the actor has not been charged or convicted of "violence against women."

Domestic abuse charity bosses have lashed out at festival chiefs after they named the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, who lost a libel case last year (20) over an article in The Sun that called him a "wife beater," the recipient of this year's honorary Donostia Award next month (Sep21).

A representative for Solace Women's Aid, which is part of the U.S.-based Women's Aid Federation, said such recognitions are disrespectful to abuse survivors, stating, "When a perpetrator is celebrated, allowing them to continue to garner success and public approval suggests that abuse is acceptable and does not matter."

And Cristina Andreu, the president of the Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, a professional association based in Madrid, told the Associated Press, "This speaks very badly of the festival and its leadership and transmits a terrible message to the public."

But San Sebastian Film Festival director Jose Luis Rebordinos is standing firm.

A statement from the executive reads, "In the first place, as the director of and person holding the highest responsibility for the Festival, I would like to repeat our commitment to fighting inequality, the abuse of power and violence against women."

"As well as meeting the commitments acquired in the Charter for Parity and the Inclusion of Women in Cinema, the Festival has consciously promoted the presence of female professionals at the head of its departments. By means of its September programme and throughout the year it participates in the questioning of society from a critical and feminist point of view. We have also endeavoured to create safe atmospheres for women in the Festival places of work and sites and, in the event of inappropriate behaviour, which has occurred, we have taken tough and rapid action."

"In these present times, when lynching on social media is rife, we will always defend two basic principles which form part of our culture and of our body of laws: that of the presumption of innocence and that of the right to reintegration. According to the proven data which we have to hand, Johnny Depp has not been arrested, charged nor convicted of any form of assault or violence against any woman. We repeat: he has not been charged by any authority in any jurisdiction, nor convicted of any form of violence against women."

Depp, who is also set to accept an upcoming honour at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, lost his role as villain Gellert Gindelwald in the latest "Fantastic Beasts" movie following his court ruling in 2020.

His legal battles continue - he is suing his ex-wife, Amber Heard, for defamation in the U.S.