Johnny Depp Inks Record-Breaking $20 Million Dior Deal for Men's Fragrance

Dior is standing by their man Johnny Depp. Despite the negative press and abuse accusations that saw Depp edited out of movie roles and fired from the "Pirates" franchise, Dior never let Depp go. Johnny was the face for Sauvage men's cologne since this ad released in 2015.

The three-year deal that Johnny Depp signed now with Dior is estimated to be worth over $20 million, making it the most significant men's fragrance contract ever. This amount surpasses Robert Pattinson's $12 million deal with Dior Homme and Brad Pitt's $7 million agreement to promote Chanel No. 5. Industry sources suggest that leading celebrities with fragrance deals typically earn between $2 million to $4 million annually. For example, Chris Pine's three-year deal with Armani is worth $4 million per year.

Previous ads with Depp courted controversy, one Sauvage ad was called out for appropriation of Native American culture and eventually pulled.

Dior was under pressure to terminate its contract with Johnny Depp after he lost a libel case against The Sun in 2020, which referred to him as a "wife-beater" concerning his ex-wife Amber Heard. However, Depp's image and market value significantly improved after winning a high-profile defamation trial against Heard, and Dior Sauvage sales surged. Bernard Arnault, the CEO of Dior's parent company LVMH, credited the success of the cologne to Depp's image, which he described as "remarkable."

Johnny Depp's new deal with Dior coincides with his upcoming appearance at the Cannes Film Festival for the world premiere of "Jeanne du Barry." He will also perform at a Jeff Beck tribute in London, alongside Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart, and debut his first directorial effort in 25 years, "Modi," at the Cannes festival. The Dior deal was negotiated by Depp's reps at Range Media and could potentially lead to more movie offers after studios had previously been hesitant to work with him following his legal troubles.