Johnny Depp, 61, has finally broken his silence on the jaw-dropping rumors that he’s romantically involved with Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, 21—a 40-year age gap that had the internet in a frenzy! The gossip, which first erupted in May 2023, stemmed from a celebrity tip on Deuxmoi claiming the two were spotted together, possibly filming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. But Depp’s camp isn’t playing around, slamming the speculation in a fiery statement that’s got everyone talking!

Back in August 2023, Depp’s reps told NME: “Mr. Depp has no personal or professional relationship with Ms. Ortega whatsoever. He has never met her or spoken to her. He is not involved in any project with her, nor does he intend to be. He is appalled by these baseless and malicious rumors that are intended to harm his reputation and career.” Ouch—that’s a hard no! Ortega herself doubled down, laughing off the rumor in a 2024 BuzzFeed interview, saying, “It’s so insane to me… I don’t know that person,” after co-star Richard E. Grant asked her about it on set. She’d already denied it in 2023 on Instagram Stories, calling it “ridiculous” and begging fans to “stop spreading lies.”

The rumor’s roots? Both have worked with Tim Burton—Depp in eight films, Ortega in Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice—but that’s where the connection ends. Depp isn’t even in the Beetlejuice sequel, despite fan hopes for a cameo. Meanwhile, posts on X from 2023 show Ortega’s blunt shutdown, with fans loving her savage clapback. Depp’s been linked to Russian model Yulia Vlasova since 2021, stirring its own buzz, but this Ortega tale? Pure fiction. With his Modi promo on the horizon and Ortega’s star soaring, this rumor’s a chaotic footnote—click to see why it’s got everyone shook!