Johnny Depp shares fake Oscars photo with Robert Downey Jr that never happened

Johnny Depp has caused confusion by sharing a photo of himself with Robert Downey Jr that appears to have been Photoshopped.

The edited photograph of the two was posted on Instagram to celebrate Downey Jr’s first Oscar at the weekend, which saw him win in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his role of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer. 

The photo has since been deleted, but showed Depp posing with Downey Jr – who is a long-time friend of his – at a Hollywood party when they were younger. However, some followers noticed that the image looked familiar, eventually finding that Depp had been Photoshopped onto an existing image of Downey Jr with Sarah Jessica Parker that was taken in 1988 while they were a couple.

Depp has not yet commented on the reason behind the post.

During the night, the actor thanked his “terrible childhood and the Academy – in that order”.

He added: “I’d like to thank my veterinarian – I meant wife – Susan Downey over there. She found me a snarling rescue pet, and you loved me back to life. That’s why I’m here. Thank you.

“Here’s my secret – I needed this job more than it needed me. Chris knew it. Emma made sure she surrounded me with one of the great casts and crews of all time – Emily, Cillian, Matt Damon. It was fantastic, and I stand here before you a better man because of it. What we do is meaningful, and the stuff that we decide to do is important.”

Meanwhile, Downey Jr appeared very unimpressed after Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at his past drug addiction during his opening monologue at the Oscars.

In the monologue, Kimmel joked about Downey’s history of substance abuse, saying: “This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr’s career… well, one of the highest points.”

The Oscar nominee then tapped his nose, with the comedian asking: “Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made?” which then led the actor to mouth the words “keep going”, gesturing for Kimmel to move on from the gag.

“Look at him, he’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win,” continued Kimmel. “Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular penis?”