Johnny Depp says he 'needed the work' after surprise VMAs appearance

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By Phoebe Egoroff

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Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at this year's VMAs, dressed as the award show's 'Moon Person' mascot.

Though the 59-year-old did not appear in person, the actor's face was superimposed onto the helmet of the show's iconic mascot.

"And you know what? I needed the work," the Pirates of the Caribbean actor said, before declaring: "I just want you guys to know that I'm available for birthdays, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, weddings, wakes, anything you need … anything."

"Oh, I’m also a dentist," he added.

"Hey VMAs, let’s get back to the f***ing music, shall we?," the actor concluded after an ad break, per People. His f-bomb had to be bleeped out for the broadcast.

His appearance comes more than three months after the verdict from his headline-grabbing trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, which saw him win $10.4 million in damages.

Depp had sued Heard for defamation after she penned an op-ed for the Washington Post that depicted her ex-husband as an abuser. Despite not naming Depp, his legal team held that the piece implied Depp was an abuser throughout their marriage, as previously reported.

The livestreamed lawsuit became the talk of social media for weeks on end and saw Depp and Heard become the subject of memes, viral hashtags, and super-sleuth Instagram accounts focused on documenting every legal move.

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Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were the subject of viral memes after Depp's defamation lawsuit against Heard. Credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy

Following the lawsuit, Heard hired a new legal team and is set to appeal the verdict, while Depp has been focused on restarting his career in music and film, recently releasing an album with two time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and longtime friend Jeff Beck.

Filmwise, the father-of-two is working on his first directorial project in over two decades - a biographical movie about famed Italian artist and sculptor, Amedeo Modigliani. The new movie will be produced by Depp's Donnie Brasco co-star Al Pacino, per Variety. Depp is also set to star in Jeanne Du Barry, a film about one of King Louis XV's mistresses.

Featured image credit: REUTERS / Alamy