Johnny Depp swiftly celebrated Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscars win on social media but had to retract an image that was later revealed to be photoshopped.
What Happened
The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 60, took to his Instagram Stories on Sunday to extend congratulations to his longtime friend, celebrating his victory as Best Supporting Actor for his remarkable performance in Oppenheimer.
However, the initial post featured a digitally altered image of the two stars, prompting fans to label it as a Photoshop fail, reminiscent of Kate Middleton’s recent Mother’s Day photo mishap.
How Depp Altered The Image
The snap used by Depp turned out to be a manipulated version of a 1988 picture featuring Downey with his then-girlfriend, Sarah Jessica Parker, with Depp absent altogether from the original photo.
Depp promptly substituted the image with an authentic photograph of him and Downey at the Golden Globes in 2011, adding the caption: ‘Let’s try this again…congrats to my dear friend.’
Fans Spot it On
The damage had already been done, as one Twitter fan shared the fake pic and the original with the hilarious caption, ‘Damn Kate Middleton should’ve hired Johnny Depp to do the photoshop.’
The doctored image of Depp and Downey seems to originate from a fan account and has circulated for several years on fan sites.
The original image 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.
Depp and Downey Are Nevertheless Close Friends
Despite the photo being fake, Depp and Downey truly have a long-standing friendship, evident from the numerous authentic photos of them together taken over the years, so no one can really tell why he altered one of his image with his then ex-girlfriend …he must have loved the posture to much.
Downey even congratulated Depp after the conclusion of his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard in 2021.
The Sherlock Holmes star took home his first Academy Award with the Best Supporting Actor gong for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
