Support truly
independent journalism
Johnny Depp has paid tribute to Pirates of the Caribbean co-star Tamayo Perry who has been killed in a shark attack.
Hawaiian actor Perry, who appeared as a buccaneer in the franchise’s fourth film On Stranger Tides in 2011, died in June while surfing at Malaekahana Beach on the island of Oahu.
Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow in the films, shared a photograph of Perry with a surfboard on his instagram Stories, writing: “Even though it was some years ago now, I remember Tamayo well.
“A lovely man, with a huge heart and zest for life… Emilia, I send you all my love and strength. You are in my thoughts. With love, Johnny.”
He also sent “love” to Perry’s family, sharing a link to a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for his wife Emilia as she “navigates the future without Tamayo; her husband, best friend and provider”.
By Saturday 3 August it had raised $118,000 (£92,000), with a target of $200,000.
It is unclear if Depp donated, but there were anonymous amounts given to the fundraiser of more than $2,000.
The death of “legendary waterman” Perry, who also appeared in The Bridge, Blue Crush and Hawaii Five-0, was called a “tragic loss” by local mayor Rick Blangiardi.
Depp has not appeared in the films as Sparrow since 2017’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which was reportedly to be followed by a sixth film.
During his 2022 defamation trial, against former wife and The Rum Diary co-star Amber Heard, he claimed he would not return to the franchise.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
He also told the court: “They didn’t remove my character from the rides. They didn’t stop selling merchandise of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn’t stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow.
“They didn’t stop selling anything. They just didn’t want there to be something trailing behind me that they’d find.”
The producer of the Pirates films, Jerry Bruckheimer, has expressed interest in Depp returning.
Depp successfully sued his former partner over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser.
He has since returned to feature films in French historical drama Jeanne Du Barry, in which he played King Louis XV.
Additional reporting by Agencies
