Jenna Ortega Reflects on Debunked Johnny Depp Dating Rumors: ‘So Insane to Me’

Jenna Ortega, the 21-year-old actress, has spoken out about the “craziest” rumor she’s ever heard about herself – that she was in a serious relationship with Johnny Depp, 61. In a recent video interview, Ortega revealed that she found the gossip “pretty hilarious” and was shocked that people believed it.

Ortega said, “Probably that I was in a serious relationship with Johnny Depp and I wanted everybody to leave us alone. It’s so insane to me. Like I never spoke on that, I never said anything like that.” She added that she didn’t even know Depp personally, saying, “I don’t know that person.”

The rumors started last year when a celebrity gossip account alleged that Ortega and Depp had been spotted together. The account also reported that the pair were possibly working on the Beetlejuice sequel together. However, Ortega quickly shut down the rumors on her Instagram Stories, saying, “This is so ridiculous I can’t even laugh… I have never met or worked with Johnny Depp in my life. Please stop spreading lies and leave us alone.”

Depp’s representative also denied the rumor, stating that Depp had no personal or professional relationship with Ortega and was not involved in any project with her.

In the same interview, Ortega also opened up about an iconic role she auditioned for but didn’t get – Zendaya’s role as Chani in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies. Ortega revealed that she auditioned for the role when she was around 15 years old, but the audition process was very secretive. She said, “I think it was Chani, I think it was Zendaya’s, but they weren’t saying that, everything was very secret.”

Ortega added that she was a big fan of the Dune franchise and was excited to audition for the role, but ultimately didn’t get it. She said, “I remember just being a big fan of that film and the franchise and everything like that and being really excited for that interview because Denis is one of my favorite filmmakers.”

It’s unclear exactly when auditions were held for the Chani role, but Ortega would have been 15 if she auditioned before September 2018. Zendaya was announced as Chani in January 2019 and went on to play a pivotal role in the 2024 sequel Dune: Part Two.