Why is Dior’s Johnny Depp-endorsed fragrance so controversial? After his trial against Amber Heard, the star signed a new contract as the face of Sauvage … but the scent has a muddy history

- Johnny Depp has been a brand ambassador for Dior since 2015, and the luxury fashion house kept him on throughout his trial, even as Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts dropped him
- But the fragrance already faced controversy when Depp first appeared in a mini film in 2019, with claims that the ad appropriated Native American culture
The actor has been an ambassador for Dior since 2015, according to The New York Times, and appeared in a mini film to promote Sauvage in 2019. Dior faced accusations of cultural appropriation at the time, with many arguing that the fragrance’s name and its marketing centred on Native American culture was offensive.
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Johnny Depp is back to endorsing Dior’s fragrance Sauvage

On Monday, the 59-year-old actor and Dior Beauty shared their first partnership post since the verdict in his court case, captioned: “Fearless yet human, just like Sauvage.” In the black-and-white images shared on Instagram, taken by photographer Greg Williams, Depp can be seen playing guitar backstage at Olympia Hall in Paris ahead of a performance.

A second Instagram post shared on Tuesday, August 9, showed a bottle of Sauvage next to Depp’s guitar, and Dior Beauty included a quote from Depp in the caption about how the scent brings back memories for him.

Hypebeast reported that the images will be used in a new Dior campaign including Depp and his music. Dior Beauty did not immediately respond to request for comment.