Ed Sheeran called out online over 'abysmal' and 'disgusting' picture

Ed Sheeran finds himself caught a storm of flak from peeved fans after being spotted with the contentious Johnny Depp.

Fuming social media users are baying for Sheeran to be called out after seeing him chummy with Depp , leaving many gobsmacked as they thought Ed was "quite sound".

The Shape of You singer was all smiles in a selfie with Depp and Russell Crowe . The celeb trio were snapped enjoying a drink backstage at an Andrea Bocelli gig near Florence, grinning away with pints of Guinness in hand.

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Will Smith and his son Jaden were also seen lurking backstage. Oscar-winner Crowe tweeted the pic of himself, Depp, and Sheeran on Thursday, quipping: "Teatro del Silenzio backstage shenanigans with Teddy and Johnny. Lubrication by Guinness. Perfect. Grazie Millie Maestro Andrea Bocelli. What an incredible experience."

Crowe's tweet set off a right kerfuffle, with some tweeps taken aback to see Sheeran hobnobbing with 61 year old Depp. Fans laid into Sheeran over the snap, given Depp's polarising rep post his televised legal circus with ex Amber Heard, 38, last year, reports the Mirror .

"I always thought the hate for Ed Sheeran was so forced, but now I guess call me an Ed Sheeran hater because wtf is this," one disgruntled Twitter user penned as they quote-tweeted Crowe's post on Thursday. "I thought Ed Sheeran was quite sound despite the constant Irish appropriation." another chimed in, while a third vented: "When the random Top 40 singer you dislike for just being dumb and annoying and unfunny finally is outed for a legitimate reason to dislike them."

Sheeran, Depp and Crowe all had roles in Bocelli's concert, with Sheeran sharing a duet with the tenor on stage. Depp strummed the guitar while Bocelli paid tribute to English guitarist and Depp's friend Jeff Beck, who passed away in January 2023.

Crowe also graced the stage at the event, showcasing his impressive vocal range.

Depp garnered immense support from his fans during the trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, in June 2022. Depp won a lawsuit against his ex-wife over a newspaper article titled: "I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change."

Although the op-ed did not directly mention the actor, Depp's legal team successfully argued in court that the article slandered him and impacted his career due to the implied allegations he had abused his ex-wife throughout their marriage - something the actor has consistently strongly denied.

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Depp was awarded a hefty $10 million (£8 million) in compensatory damages and an extra $5 million (£4 million) in punitive damages this June, following a six-week long, highly publicized defamation trial that was broadcast live. The jury concluded that Heard's accusations were unfounded and slanderous towards Depp.

The City of Lies actor wasn't let off the hook entirely, as the jury found him guilty of defaming his ex-wife when one of his attorneys dismissed her sexual abuse claims as a "hoax."

Heard was granted $2 million in compensatory damages but nothing in punitive damages.

Depp took to Instagram to thank his fans for their support the day after the jury's verdict on June 1, praising them for "giving me my life back" with a sincere post. His update on June 2 attracted likes from celebrities including Jennifer Aniston and Paris Hilton.

However, two months down the line, some celebs discreetly withdrew their likes from Depp's social media posts following the release of explosive unsealed court documents from his legal tussle with Heard in August 2022. These bombshell revelations contained new allegations and evidence that had been excluded from their earlier court battle, which ended two months prior with Depp's win in the defamation suit against Heard.

Reports have emerged that the recently released pretrial documents contain claims that Depp had plans to use explicit photos of Heard as evidence in the trial earlier this year. Heard was limited in making specific allegations against Depp.

Following the release of these documents, celebrities such as Sophie Turner, Bella Hadid, and Yungblud seemed to retract their 'likes' from Depp's celebratory Instagram post dated June 1.

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