Johnny Depp is coming to the defense of Dior after the brand pulled the Sauvage fragrance campaign after getting heat for culture appropriation.
For a little refresher: Last month, the design house faced a lot of criticism after it teased an upcoming advertisement. In the ad that debuted on Friday, August 30, Depp wanders through the red rocks as a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Canku One Star, performs a war dance in traditional dress.
Many were outraged that the fashion house was capitalizing on indigenous cultures to turn a profit. However, the star of the project officially titled We Are the Land did not necessarily feel the same way.
On Monday, September 9, the Edward Scissorhands star spoke with The Hollywood Reporter defending the video.
“A teaser obviously is a very concentrated version of images and there were objections to the teaser of the small film,” he told the publication. “The film has never been seen.”
He went on to say that the film was made to celebrate indigenous cultures all around the world, not just in North America. “I can assure you that no one has any reason to go out to try to exploit. It was a film made out of great respect and with great respect and love for the Native American peoples to bring light to them,” he said. “They haven’t had the greatest amount of help out of the United States government. The idea is as pure as it ever was, so we will come to an agreement so that everyone is happy.”
He hopes that people will be able to come to a resolution and that this won’t be the end of the film.
“It’s a pity that people jumped the gun and made these objections,” he continued. “However, their objections are their objections.”
