Even though he has been dismissed from a big movie franchise and despite the drama surrounding him and his ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp is attempting to get his life back on track.

The actor was just granted a Gold Medal of Merit by the President of Serbia, which was presented to him on Tuesday.

In Belgrade, as part of Serbian Statehood Day celebrations, he was introduced alongside politician Aleskander Vuvic.

When he spoke at the event, the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star expressed his gratitude to Vuvic for the medal and expressed the hope that it would trigger a "re-beginning" in his personal life.

In an interview with Balkan Insight, a local publication, Depp said, "If I am granted the honor of walking away with this medal of distinction, I thank you for being so gracious as to bestow it upon me."

In a subsequent interview with the Daily Mail, Depp stated that he was "on the verge of a new life."

"I enjoy a fresh start, and I would love for that fresh start to begin here," the "Edward Scissorhands" actor added.

Johnny Depp, who filmed the films "Minimata" and "Puffins" in Serbia in recent years, was given the award for "outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, particularly in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world."

Depp received the award for "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."

However, the Hollywood A-lister's to "re-beginnings" appears to be in reference to the fact that he lost his libel action against The Sun for branding him a "wife abuser" in a headline that alluded to his connection with Heard.

In 2020, a court in the United Kingdom ruled that the publication's assertion was "basically true."

The decision to dismiss Depp's lawsuit resulted in his being obliged to step away from his position as Grindelwald in the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.

He did, however, get a lifetime achievement award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in September 2021, which he attended for the first time.

The festival received negative feedback as a result of the award being presented to such a controversial actor.

"The cancel culture has gotten out of hand," Depp said in his award speech, adding that "no one is completely protected from being affected by it."

In 2019, Johnny Depp filed a defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard in connection with an op-ed piece she wrote for the Washington Times in which she purportedly claimed she had been assaulted.

Despite the fact that Depp's name was not mentioned in the piece, everyone is aware that it is about him.

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million in damages, and the trial is set to begin in April.

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Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Johnny Depp case, Johnny Depp lawsuit