Johnny Depp was quick to celebrate Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscar win on social media, but had to retract a photo that was later revealed to be photoshopped.
The 60-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday to congratulate his longtime friend, celebrating his Best Supporting Actor win for his remarkable performance in Oppenheimer.
However, the first post featured a digitally altered image of the two stars, prompting fans to label it a Photoshop glitch reminiscent of Kate Middleton’s recent Mother’s Day photo mishap.
The snap Depp used turned out to be a doctored version of a 1988 photo of Downey with his then-girlfriend, Sarah Jessica Parker, with Depp completely absent from the original photo.
Depp immediately replaced the photo with an authentic photograph of him and Downey at the 2011 Golden Globes and added the caption: ‘Let’s try this again…congratulations my dear friend.’
Johnny Depp quickly celebrated Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscar win on social media, but had to retract a photo that was later revealed to be photoshopped; pictured November 2023
The first post (above) featured a digitally altered image of the two stars, prompting fans to label it a Photoshop glitch
The snap Depp used turned out to be a doctored version of a 1988 photo (above) of Downey with his then-girlfriend Sarah Jessica Parker, with Depp completely absent from the original photo
The damage had already been done, which a Twitter fan shared the fake photo and the original with the hilarious caption, ‘Damn, Kate Middleton should have hired Johnny Depp to do photoshop.’
It seems that the image of Depp and Downey has been processed originates from a fan account and has circulated for several years on fan sites.
The original photo of Downey with Parker, taken at a Young Artists Unite event in Los Angeles in November 1988, depicts the actors looking loved up as they dated for seven years, from 1984 to 1991.
Despite the photo being fake, Depp and Downey really do have a long-standing friendship, as evidenced by the many authentic photos of them together over the years.
Downey even congratulated Depp upon the conclusion of his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard in 2021.
The Sherlock Holmes star took home his first Oscar with the gong for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
The actor secured two Oscar nominations in the past: one for his lead role in 1992’s Chaplin and another for his supporting role in 2008’s Tropic Thunder.
He alluded to his ‘terrible childhood’ during his Oscar acceptance speech after host Jimmy Kimmel made a very awkward joke about his drug use.
The damage was already done when a Twitter fan shared the fake photo and the original with the hilarious caption: ‘Damn Kate Middleton should have hired Johnny Depp to do the photoshop’
Depp immediately replaced the photo with an authentic photograph of him and Downey engaged in deep conversation at the 2011 Golden Globes, adding the caption: “Let’s try this again…congratulations my dear friend”
The original photo of Downey with Parker, taken at a Young Artists Unite event in Los Angeles in November 1988, depicts the actors looking loved-up as they dated for seven years, from 1984 to 1991; pictured in 1990
The doctored photo of Depp and Downey appears to have originated from a fan account and has been circulating for years on fan sites
The Sherlock Holmes star picked up his first Academy Award with a Best Supporting Actor gong for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer
Standing on the podium with the trophy in hand, Downey Jr joked: ‘I’d like to thank my terrible childhood and the Academy – in that order.’
He also praised wife Susan for ‘loving him back to life’, having previously credited her with helping him quit drugs for good.
Earlier in the night, host Kimmel had grilled Downey Jr’s manhood and past drug use in his bombshell opening monologue.
The host, 56, who returned for the fourth time, had left the A-list audience laughing and cringing in equal measure.
Of the Iron Man star, Kimmel said: ‘And Robert Downey Jr, one of the highest points of his career. But Robert has been’ – as RDJ pointed to his face, prompting Kimmel to add: ‘Was that on the nose too or a drug move you did?
‘But look at him, he’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win.
‘Is that a thank you note in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular penis?’
The joke fell flat as RDJ looked somber as he stared at the camera as fans slammed Kimmel for his ‘bottom of the barrel’ jokes about drug abuse.
The photo, which shows the mother-of-three with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, marked the first official picture of the princess since undergoing ‘planned abdominal surgery’ in January
The Princess of Wales has admitted she edited the Mother’s Day portrait and apologized “for any confusion” it caused
Despite requests for the original photograph to be released, Kensington Palace stated that it would not re-release the unedited version of Kate and her children
Meanwhile, fans were also spun into a frenzy after the Princess of Wales admitted to editing her Mother’s Day post yesterday.
Under mounting pressure, Buckingham Palace faced demands to reveal the truth about the photo after leading picture and news agencies, including the PA, discredited the photo over allegations of digital manipulation.
The picture, featuring the mother-of-three with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, marked the first official picture of the princess since undergoing ‘scheduled abdominal surgery’ in January.
A statement from the Princess of Wales said: ‘Like many amateur photographers I occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion that the family photo we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone who celebrated had a very happy Mother’s Day. C’
Royal sources stressed that the photograph was taken by the Prince of Wales and described it as an amateur family snapshot.
The couple aimed to provide an informal family photo for Mother’s Day, with the princess making minor adjustments, as noted in her statement on social media.
Despite requests for the original photograph to be released, Kensington Palace stated that it would not re-release the unedited version of Kate and her children.