Jenna Ortega recently addressed rumors suggesting she was in a relationship with actor Johnny Depp.
Last year, the celebrity gossip account Deuxmoi posted an anonymous tip alleging that Ortega and Depp had been seen on a date. Deuxmoi is known for not verifying the accuracy of its tips, as their Instagram biography states: “Some statements made on this account have not been independently confirmed. This account does not claim information published is based in fact.”
Despite this disclaimer, the rumors gained traction, leading to numerous articles about Ortega supposedly commenting on their relationship. After a series of speculative reports, the situation began to spiral.
In a recent BuzzFeed interview, while promoting her new film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Ortega was asked about the wildest rumor she had heard about herself.
“Probably that I was in a serious relationship with Johnny Depp and I wanted everybody to ‘leave us alone,'” the Wednesday actress responded.
“It’s so insane to me like I never spoke on that, I never said anything like that,” she added. “Articles really do just make up their own quotes, but I thought that that was pretty hilarious.”
“I was on set with [co-star] Richard E. Grant and he came up to me and he just said ‘Oh so you and Johnny,’ and I laughed because — I don’t know that person,” she continued.
Fans online are enjoying Ortega’s candid response, particularly her remark, ‘I don’t know that person.’
One Twitter user commented, “She really said I’ve never heard of that man in my life.”
“She’s so real but how sick and twisted does an individual even have to be to make that up,” another added. Ortega was notably 21-years-old at the time of the rumors while Depp was 60.
“Now that’s how [you] deny a dating rumor,” another user remarked.
Ortega has previously stated that she does not intend to discuss her love life publicly, as she fears it would overshadow her work.
In a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, the actress explained: “I don’t plan on speaking about my love life publicly, because that’s mine.”
“When you know too much about someone’s personal life, then you watch films and you can only see them [the celebrity side of them], there’s nothing worse,” she added.