Alice Cooper is publically defending Johnny Depp over claims of abuse leveled against him by ex-wife Amber Heard saying that he thinks Depp is “harmless”.
“Johnny is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met in my life,” the singer told Page Six. “He is the most harmless human being I’ve ever met, so I’m not buying into all of the other stories at because I know him and everybody else who knows him knows that.”
Along with Joe Perry, Depp and Cooper formed the band Hollywood Vampires in 2015. The supergroup was formed to honour the music of the rock stars who died from excess in the 1970s and their debut album features appearances from Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney and Slash.
Cooper also revealed to Page Six that although he hasn’t spoken to Depp lately, he’s “gotten some emails”.
“The thing that surprises people the most about Johnny is — other than that he will sit and talk to you for an hour even if he doesn’t know you — is that he’s a great guitar player,” Cooper also revealed to Page Six. “He’s doing work right now with Jeff Beck. You don’t play with Jeff Beck unless you’re a hell of a guitar player. Johnny is a surprisingly good guitar player. He was a guitar player before he was an actor.”
Last year Depp tried to sue The Sun newspaper for branding him a “wife beater” in light of the claims that he physically abused Heard during their brief relationship. However, a judge ruled that the allegations were “substantially true” and he lost the case.
The latest interview with Page Six isn’t the first time that Cooper has praised Depp’s guitar skills. Earlier this year, he implied that Depp is a better rockstar than he is an actor in an interview with Mistress Carrie .
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“He’s a much better rock star, and it’s in him, he was a guitar player way before he was an actor. So when he steps on stage with [Aerosmith guitarist and Hollywood Vampires bandmate] Joe Perry, he can trade leads with Joe, and Joe says, ‘Yeah, he’s good,'” Cooper said.
Cooper also defended Depp’s physical abuse allegations in the same interview.
“Johnny Depp and I are best friends… I’ve never seen him lift a finger against anybody. He’s one of the most gentle people. And all of his former girlfriends and wives say the same thing,” he told NME.
“It’s really hard to believe that all of a sudden he’s gonna turn into this monster. And I know the guy — I’m with the guy on tour all the time. He’s one of the most gentle, harmless people I’ve ever met.”
Watch ‘I Want My Now’ by Hollywood Vampires:
