Jenna Ortega shut down the ridiculous rumor about her and Johnny Depp

For some reason, people on the internet were convinced Jenna Ortega and Johnny Depp were in a “serious, long-term” relationship. And even Jenna Ortega herself has no idea where the rumors started.

Currently, Ortega is busy promoting her latest movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. As one does following the release of a major project, she is currently on a full-fledged press tour. During one of her latest activities, the Wednesday starlet addressed rumors of her supposed relationship with Johnny Depp.

So, are they dating? And how on Earth did these rumors first start? Let’s discuss.

The short answer is no, Jenna Ortega and Johnny Depp are NOT dating. But you’ve likely already come to that conclusion yourself.

On August 27, BuzzFeed shared their latest installment of The Puppy Interview, this time featuring Jenna Ortega. During the interview, the actress was asked what was the craziest rumor she heard about herself. Ortega answered that the weirdest rumor she heard was that she was in a serious relationship with Johnny Depp.

She told BuzzFeed, “It’s so insane to me. […] Articles really do just make up their own quotes, but I thought that was pretty hilarious.”

She recalled how Richard E. Grant had approached her to ask about the rumor. Ortega reveals she laughed it off because “I don’t know that person.”

As of this writing, Ortega is 21 years old, while Depp is 61 years old. That is a whopping 40-year age gap, which would be a little icky, to say the least.

So, how did the Jenna Ortega and Johnny Depp dating rumors even start?

Jenna Ortega was first linked with Johnny Depp in August 2023 after celebrity gossip source Deuxmoi shared an anonymous tip that claimed the two were spotted together. Soon, rumors started circulating that they were dating, or working together for Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

At the time, both Ortega and Depp shut down the rumors. Ortega took to her Instagram to dispel the allegations, stating, “This is so ridiculous, I can’t even laugh.” She added that she has never met nor worked with Depp, and asked people to stop spreading lies and to leave them alone.

Meanwhile, a representative for Depp’s side denied the dating rumors, stating that he has no personal or professional relationship with Jenna Ortega. They added, “He has never met or spoken to her. He is not involved in any project with her, nor does he intend to be.”

Depp’s representative added that the actor was “appalled” by the baseless and malicious rumors that were spread in an attempt to allegedly “harm his reputation and his career.” Sure.