Johnny Depp apologises for Trump gaffe at the festival

Johnny Depp apologised for joking about President Donald Trump being assassinated, as his remarks to a music festival audience triggered an angry backlash.

The actor made the off-colour comments late on Thursday at the Glastonbury Festival in southwest England, telling the crowd it had “been a while” since an actor had assassinated a president.

The remarks drew a stern response from the White House, as Depp said he had intended no malice.

“President Trump has condemned violence in all forms and it’s sad that others like Johnny Depp have not followed his lead,” said Trump’s spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

“I hope that some of Mr. Depp’s colleagues will speak out against this type of rhetoric as strongly as they would if his comments were directed to a Democrat elected official.”

In a statement to celebrity magazine People, the 54-year-old expressed regret that that his words “did not come out as intended,” adding that he had intended no malice and “was only trying to amuse, not to harm anyone.”

“I apologise for the bad joke I attempted last night in poor taste about President Trump,” he said.

The A-Lister had turned up at a drive-in cinema at Glastonbury, introducing his 2004 film The Libertine and answering questions from the 1,500-strong audience.

“I think he needs help and there are a lot of wonderful dark, dark places he could go,” Depp said when asked about Trump.

“When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to qualify, I am not an actor. I lie for a living.

“However, it has been a while and maybe it is time,” Depp added.