Johnny Depp looks every inch like a man on a mission to get his career totally back on track.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star took a big hit on both his net worth and his career on the back of claims by his ex-wife Amber Heard that he had been physically and emotionally abusive.

In the last week, however, Depp will have felt that justice has been served for him, after a jury ruled in his favor in the defamation case that he had filed against Heard in Fairfax County, Virginia. They also awarded him a total of $15 million in compensatory and punitive damages, to be paid by his former lover.

With what Depp’s supporters feel is not just a legal, but a moral victory as well, the 58-year-old is already looking forward to his next movie role now, as King Louis XV in an upcoming film by French actress and filmmaker, Maïwenn.

In the midst of all the celebration, fans continue to pore over past and present moments of Depp’s life, as the actor continues to dominate the headlines. One such reflective bit involves an award event exchange with Taylor Swift from more than ten years ago.

Johnny Depp And Taylor Swift Were Nominated At The 2011 People’s Choice Awards

The exchange between Johnny Depp and Taylor Swift happened all the way back in 2011, at that year’s People’s Choice Awards ceremony. The event was held on the evening of January 5 at the Nokia Theatre L.A Live (now the Microsoft Theatre) in Los Angeles.

Depp was up for the gong in the category ‘Favorite Movie Actor,’ following his performance as Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter in the 2010 dark fantasy period film, Alice in Wonderland.

The competition was quite stiff for the actor, though, as he had to go up against Leonardo DiCaprio (Inception, Shutter Island), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Taylor Lautner (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Valentine’s Day), and Robert Pattinson (Remember Me, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse).

Swift herself was nominated in two categories: ‘Favorite Female Artist’ and ‘Favorite Country Artist. On the evening, she was also tasked with the job of presenting the award for the category that Depp had been nominated for.

Depp eventually emerged victorious, and he stepped up to the stage where he shared a warm moment with Swift.

What Happened Between Johnny Depp And Taylor Swift?

When Taylor Swift announced the name of Johnny Depp as the winner of Favorite Movie Actor, she did so with an enthusiasm that might have baffled one or two people. After all, the musician had also featured in the movie Valentine’s Day alongside Taylor Lautner, who had been up against Depp for the People’s Choice Award.

After meeting on the set of the romantic comedy film by Garry Marshall, Swift and Lautner had also started dating, albeit for a short period of time in 2009. That did not seem to matter much as she waited to hand over the award to Depp about one and a half years later.

When the Kentucky-born star arrived on stage and received his gong, he took the time to acknowledge Swift before going on to the rest of his acceptance speech. “Taylor Swift, by the way,” Depp said to the audience, prompting them to offer up a round of applause.

“My daughter said that if I didn’t say hi to you, that I’d be in big trouble. So…” Depp continued.

What Are Fans Saying About The Exchange Between Johnny Depp And Taylor Swift?

While the audience is clapping for him he says :”Btw, that’s Jeff Beck”

I remember him doing the same thing with Taylor Swift when she presented him with PCA.

He never wants to be the center of attention. He’s a very humble, kind gentle soul. That’s #JohnnyDepp ❤️ https://t.co/wYbPx7JDMi

— Aamina 🏴‍☠️ (@ABMWZ25) June 5, 2022
Taylor Swift smiled at the recognition from Johnny Depp and Lily-Rose, his then 11-year-old daughter, and told the 21 Jump Street star to say that she said hi back.

While Swift has gone on to become a massive superstar, she was at the time only just starting to bloom in her music career. She had released her first three studio albums and was receiving a lot of plaudits for it, but she still had a long way to go towards the pinnacle of her profession.

This has not gone unnoticed by fans revisiting the incident, who feel that the gesture was a sign of Depp’s humility.

‘He is utterly respectful to people. It happened round about in the start of Taylor’s career & there he was a worldwide famous actor acknowledging & appreciating her at the time of his speech for a huge award. He is a very nice person,’ one comment reads on YouTube.

Another fan concurs with this view, saying, ‘Johnny is always thinking about other people which is exactly why everyone loves him.’