Johnny Depp and Dior Sauvage are extending their partnership.
First reported by Variety and confirmed by a source close the deal, Depp and Dior Sauvage have extended a pact that is said to be three years and worth more than $20 million, making it one of the most lucrative celebrity fragrance deals. The Hollywood Reporter has also reached out to reps for Dior but did not hear back as of press time.
While Depp faced scrutiny amid a tumultuous court battle last year with his ex-wife Amber Heard, Dior Sauvage didn’t drop the actor, who has fronted the fragrance since it launched in 2015. Three months after Depp emerged victorious from the defamation suit, Dior Beauty promoted Depp in a new social campaign that was shared on the brand’s Instagram account. “Profound and authentic. Johnny Depp embodies the heady magic of Sauvage,” Dior Beauty shared in September 2022, on the heels of an initial report in TMZ that he had re-upped his pact. Another post the same day read, “More than ever, Johnny Depp is the soul of Sauvage.”
He can also be called successful. Bernard Arnault, CEO of Dior’s parent company LVMH, reported during a January financial presentation that Dior Sauvage was a leader in fragrance sales by “achieving remarkable success…driven by the image of Johnny Depp.” Already a leader in the category, Arnault also said the fragrance exhibited strong growth.
News of the deal comes days ahead of what will surely be a global spectacle when Depp hits the Palais red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. His film, Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, is set to open the festival on May 16. It will mark his first big-screen role since weathering the Heard controversy, following a 2020 release with Andrew Levitas’ Minamata.
While Dior Sauvage stood behind Depp, he faced career setbacks due to the Heard drama that played out over several years, during which he was dropped by major Hollywood franchises, including Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts.
The appearance in Cannes could be a defining moment for Depp’s comeback, and the Dior Sauvage deal seems to be timed to coincide with the swell surrounding his return to the big screen. A veteran specialty distributor told THR in a new report, “I haven’t seen the movie, but it feels like it was a good way for [Depp] to get back into everything.”
