Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp received an honour on February 16 as he was presented with a Gold Medal of Merit by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. This took place during a celebration of Serbian Statehood Day in Belgrade, Serbia. Several pictures and videos of the actor's acceptance speech surfaced online and fans have been extended their best wishes to him on a special day.

Johnny Depp receives Gold Medal of Merit

According to a report by Balkan Insight, the actor was presented with the honour for his 'outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world.' The actor wanted his medal to speak for itself, and hilariously held it up to the mic and asked the audience, "Can you hear it?". He then went on to speak about how grateful he is for the honour and extended his gratitude to President Vucic. He said, "I truly, sincerely thank you, President Vucic, and this medal of merit, if I am given the honour to walk away with this, I thank you for being kind enough to bestow it upon me." He mentioned it was a 'proud moment' for him and thanked his fans for their love and support. He mentioned he was 'on the verge of a new life' and hoped that the event could be the start of something new as he said, "I like a re-beginning, and I would love for that beginning to start here."

Johnny Depp is known for his films including Murder on the Orient Express, City of Lies, Alice Through the Looking Glass, etc. and was recently in the news after he emerged victorious in his defamation suit against his ex-wife Amber Heard. The controversy began when she accused him of domestic violence including verbal and physical abuse and filed for divorce in 2019. News about Depp then resurfaced in July 2020 when the actor sued The Sun newspaper for calling him a 'wife beater'. However, he accepted defeat in the high-profile case at the High Court in London.

Image: Twitter/@MoragMcLeod6, @JForJ_M