Emily Hampshire, the beloved star of “Schitt’s Creek,” recently found herself in hot water after her Halloween costume choice stirred up a storm of controversy. The actress took to Instagram on November 1, 2023, to issue a heartfelt apology for her decision to dress up as the infamous ex-couple, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
In a candid and sincere post, Emily Hampshire began by acknowledging her mistake, saying, “I want to address what is one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I’ve ever done.” She explained that she had thought her costume as Johnny Depp, known for his role in “Pirates of the Caribbean,” would be humorous. However, she recognized that she had made a grave error in judgment, admitting, “I am deeply sorry and ashamed for putting something that awful out in the universe. Domestic abuse is never, ever funny.”
The 42-year-old Canadian actress went on to emphasize the gravity of the issue, reminding her followers that these are real-life matters affecting real people. Her sincere apology demonstrated her understanding of the importance of sensitivity when it comes to topics as serious as domestic abuse.
On the ill-fated Halloween night, Emily Hampshire transformed herself into Johnny Depp with remarkable attention to detail, sporting a drawn-on mustache, tattoos, slicked-back hair, a sport coat, and a bottle of wine. Her friend joined in on the costume fun, impersonating a crying Amber Heard and even holding up a fake piece of poop. Hampshire captioned the now-deleted carousel with a simple “Happy Halloween.”
However, social media users were quick to condemn the costumes, with one critic tweeting, “It really is a special kind of depraved to keep the costumes going a full year and a half later. @emilyhampshire clearly felt the need to rise to the task.” The backlash didn’t stop there, with others accusing her of making light of domestic abuse and questioning her judgment.
Despite receiving some support from a handful of followers who found the costumes humorous, Hampshire remained steadfast in her remorse. She was unflinching in addressing the criticism head-on, acknowledging that domestic abuse is not a subject to be taken lightly, and that her actions had been inappropriate.
The controversy surrounding Emily Hampshire’s Halloween costume harkened back to the real-life drama between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The actress famously accused Depp, to whom she was married from February 2015 to January 2017, of domestic violence in a December 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post. This accusation led to a high-stakes legal battle, with Depp suing Heard for defamation and seeking $50 million in damages, alleging that she had fabricated the allegations to secure a larger settlement in their divorce.
During their highly publicized trial, both Depp and Heard made shocking allegations against each other. Depp was accused of being violent while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, while Heard faced accusations of leaving “human fecal matter” in their shared bed following an argument. Ultimately, Depp’s legal team was able to prove that Heard had defamed him, resulting in a $10 million compensatory damages and $5 million punitive damages award against her. However, the jury also awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages for her countersuit.
Emily Hampshire’s ill-advised costume choice serves as a stark reminder of the importance of sensitivity and awareness when it comes to issues as serious as domestic abuse. Her apology, though coming after the fact, demonstrates her willingness to acknowledge her mistake and strive for better judgment in the future.
