Despite the heartbreaking news of his best friend Shane MacGowan’s passing earlier in the day, Johnny Depp pushed on with his work commitments on Wednesday evening. The beloved Irish musician, famous for his iconic Christmas tune “Fairytale of New York,” passed away at the age of 65 in the company of his wife Victoria Mary Clarke and family. Johnny and Shane had been close friends for over thirty years, with the actor once confessing to being smitten with the rocker upon their first meeting. Despite the sad circumstances, Johnny made an appearance at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the Opening Night screening of HWJN. The star looked sharp and sophisticated in an all-black suit as he posed for photographers on the red carpet.
At the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, Johnny Depp, who is 60 years old, looked quite stylish. He attended the event after the passing of his best friend, Shane MacGowan.
The famous singer and Johnny had been close friends for more than 30 years, as the actor once confessed his love for the star when they first met in 1994. Johnny looked sharp in his thick-soled black brogues, completing his outfit. He styled his long hair back into a neat ponytail and wore pale blue glasses. As usual, he accessorized his look with signature chunky rings and silver earrings. Although the star has an impressive collection of tattoos, most of them were hidden, with only a few peaking out on his chest and fingers. The film festival will open with the world premiere of HJWN, a Saudi Arabian fantasy film adapted from a best-selling young adult novel by Ibraheem Abbas. The storyline follows the journey of a kind-hearted jinn who discovers the truth about his royal lineage and sets out to reclaim his birthright, only to fall in love with a medical student. Johnny is reportedly attending the event to present the MENA premiere of Jeanne du Barry, a Cannes title scheduled for 2023 and directed by Maiwenn.
The celebrity, aged 60, dressed up in a sleek black suit for the occasion and posed confidently on the red carpet.
His lengthy tresses were slicked back neatly into a ponytail, while he sported a set of spectacles with light blue lenses.
As Johnny strutted down the red carpet, his expression was solemn and focused as he struck a variety of poses for the cameras.
The celeb’s collection of stunning tattoos remained hidden for the most part, with only a few visible on his chest and fingers.
Johnny sported slicked-back hair for the night.
The world premiere of the Saudi Arabian fantasy film, HJWN, will mark the start of the upcoming film festival.
In this photo, we see Johnny posing with two important figures from the Red Sea International Film Festival: CEO Mohammed Al Turki and Chairwoman Jomana Alrashid. It’s always exciting to see celebrities mingling with industry leaders at such events, and Johnny looks right at home in this company.
After receiving the heart-wrenching news of his friend’s passing, Johnny appeared to be in a state of deep concentration. Shane MacGowan had been fighting viral encephalitis, a severe condition that causes swelling in the brain, and had spent several months in and out of St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. Despite being discharged last week in time for his Christmas Day birthday, Shane’s health had been deteriorating due to years of substance and alcohol abuse, which had reduced him to using a wheelchair and needing constant care from his wife. Shane was famous for his wild lifestyle, slurred speech, missing teeth, and on-stage breakdowns during his heyday in the 1980s, with his hit “Fairytale of New York” having sold millions of copies worldwide and become a Christmas classic. His wife shared the devastating news of his passing just days after posting a sentimental photo of them both on their fifth wedding anniversary. Johnny and Shane were close friends, and Johnny even played guitar at Shane and Victoria’s private wedding ceremony in Copenhagen in November 2018. In 2018, several other celebrities, including Bono, Nick Cave, and Sinead O’Connor, teamed up with Shane to celebrate his 60th birthday on stage. Johnny also produced a biopic, “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan,” in 2020 that delved into Shane’s journey to fame and his struggles with addiction.
Shane MacGowan, the lead vocalist of The Pogues, has passed away at the age of 65.
