Joe Rogan has a theory on why actors Johnny Depp and Will Smith are embroiled in drama: The controversial podcaster believes their careers and spouses have driven them off the deep end.
The 54-year-old former “Fear Factor” host dropped his opinion on a Thursday episode of the “Joe Rogan Experience,” Newsweek reported.
In the episode, Rogan and guest Tony Hinchcliffe were discussing how genius and madness can seem intertwined in Tinseltown.
“To be one of those people, whether it’s Mel Gibson or any of these actor types, to be insanely good in a movie, you’ve got to be a little crazy,” posited Rogan. He was referencing how the controversial Australian superstar is perhaps equally famous for alleged anti-semitic slurs and angry telephone messages as he is for his Oscar-winning films.
“To be one of those people, whether it’s Mel Gibson or any of these actor types, to be insanely good in a movie, you’ve got to be a little crazy,” posited Rogan.Getty Images
Will Smith won Best Actor after the slap.AFP via Getty ImagesHinchcliffe, 37, then cited the infamous Oscars slap as evidence of how Will Smith’s “King Richard” role impacted his psychology, prompting the UFC commentator to respond: “He’s an amazing actor right? He shows emotion in his film, it’s so real.”
“The guy’s probably always on the verge of crying, it’s probably a mess,” added Rogan, who also blamed Smith’s mental state on his fraught relationship with wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
“I mean, the way his wife smiled after Chris Rock got slapped,” exclaimed Hinchcliffe, referencing the notorious “Best Smacktor” incident, in which the Oscar winner slapped Rock over a bald crack about Jada, who has alopecia.
“The whole thing was just, oh my god. Like, he’s under a spell, like he’s been captured by witchcraft,” he added. “He’s one of the biggest movie stars ever, and he lives in hell. He lives in hell.”
“The guy’s probably always on the verge of crying, it’s probably a mess,” added Rogan, who also blamed Smith’s mental state on his fraught relationship with actress Jada Pinkett Smith.NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via
Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock onstage while presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars.Chris Pizzello/Invision/APTo illustrate his point, Rogan pulled up the now-infamous footage of Jada filming the “I Am Legend” star without his consent, which many fans viewed as clear evidence that Smith was the victim of abuse. Meanwhile, Will admitted last September that he and his wife were in an open relationship. This followed swirling rumors that 50-year-old Jada had been romantically entangled with younger R&B singer August Alsina, 29.
As further evidence of the drama actors’ face off-screen, Rogan brought up the ongoing defamation suit involving Amber Heard and ex-husband Johnny Depp.
“Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s trial, like whoa, you feel you feel jealous that some people are movie stars?” the funnyman ranted. “Yeah? You wanna know what they’re like behind the scenes? When there’s this one witch that convinces the super millionaire to not sign a prenup so that she can weasel all the money out of him.”
“Throws a f–king glass bottle, cuts his finger off, beats him up and then goes to the press and tells everybody that Johnny beat her,” he said.
Johnny Depp during a hearing at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Depp is seeking $50 million in damages, while Heard has filed a $100 million countersuit.POOL/AFP via Getty Images The “Donnie Brasco” star is suing Heard for defamation over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed that the “Aquaman” star wrote, in which she said she was a victim of sexual violence.
She did not specifically name Depp in the article, but it was written after Heard filed for a restraining order against her ex-husband in 2016 over abuse allegations. Depp is seeking $50 million in damages while Heard has filed a $100 million countersuit.
Depp supporters recently accused Heard of shedding crocodile tears and even quoting films during her testimony.
