Johnny Depp ... gave millions to help free the West Memphis Three

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Johnny Depp, Peter Jackson, and Eddie Vedder gave millions to help free the West Memphis Three, says 'Paradise Lost' director -- EXCLUSIVE

And apparently Depp was there on the when they were freed:

West Memphis 3 Freed! Johnny Depp, Eddie Vedder, Joe Berlinger Are There

Too bad he didn't drop by the Fest while he was in the US. 

[madscntst]

The money, I'd believe.  He's been on TV (20/20?  Dateline?) in support of the WM3, and he performed last year at a concert/rally in their benefit.  And he's known for quietly giving to many charities and other causes he believes in.  However, he was spotted with his family on his yacht in the Mediterranean last weekend, so it's unlikely he was there in person for their release.  I believe I saw a photo of Eddie Vedder there, and Natalie Maines tweeted about being there, so they probably just added Johnny's name because he's a known supporter.  Actually, I've been waiting to see if he'll make a statement about it, but I haven't come across anything (Anything new that is, the article has a quote from last year).

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Yeah, I saw those reports about him being in the Mediterranean last weekend - and one of the sites actually had photos to prove it (Johnny Depp Sets Sail on a Romantic Cruise With Vanessa and Gifts Lily-Rose With a Justin Bieber Surprise!), so we definitely know he was there. But that wasn't posted until the 22nd, and the three were supposedly released on the 19th, so I wasn't sure that he couldn't have been in both places. And though I haven't seen any photos at the release, I have seen many reports - some even on news sites. Though, as we know, you can't always trust even news sites these days to get everything 100% accurately. And to further complicate things, there are the reports that Depp was at Disney World in Orlando last weekend. Some guy even claims that it definitely was Depp because he Googled Depp's tattoos and they all matched up with the guy he saw. Who knows?    Maybe Depp borrows Dr. Who's Tardis so he can jump around in time and space.  

Of course, it's also worth noting that Depp obviously doesn't look like he weighs 140 pounds, so who the hell knows why those stories *still* keep popping up?  

[madscntst]

The yacht photos were marked as having been taken on the 20th, and some photos started popping up the morning of the 21st.  It still would've been possible for him to be in Ark on the 19th (if he wasn't filming) and then fly right out.  However, I saw dozens of reports about the release of the WM3, and only about 3 of them mentioned Johnny being present, and those were just in passing- no photos, no quotes; most other reports just mentioned his past support.  The WM3 themselves didn't mention him being there and neither did their website.  More importantly, this was a major news event and no photos spotted him-- believe me, the Depp community is rabid enough that they would be looking very carefully for photo evidence!

As for the Disney thing, I remember seeing something on some site, and when I clicked the link, the page did not exist.  Impersonators do show up at Disney or other places sometimes, and some are quite good.  It is very doubtful that Johnny would be walking around Disney during regular hours- he has even spoken of this problem himself.  Parts of the park (Land, not World) closed when he showed up to ride on the POTC ride after they installed the Captain Jack animatronic.  Vanessa and the kids are sometimes spotted at 'Land, and photos do pop up of them but they are surrounded by an entourage.  Johnny generally needs  more security than that when in public.  Of course, any report of a potential Depp sighting is of interest to us fans, but we usually can figure out what to disregard, because as you say he can't be in all places at once, and believe me, sightings occur ALL the time and most aren't real    Best guess- Johnny filmed during the week and enjoyed the weekend with his family.  

I do hope we'll hear him say something about the release.