Paul McCartney features Johnny Depp clip during headlining Glastonbury set

Paul McCartney performs on the Pyramid Stage stage (Getty Images)
Paul McCartney performs on the Pyramid Stage stage (Getty Images)

Last night Paul McCartney played a video of Johnny Depp during his three-hour Glastonbury set.

The 80-year-old Beatle, who became the festival’s oldest solo headlining act, projected the video across the stage’s giant screens as he played My Valentine.

The clip was taken from McCartney’s original music video for his 2012 song. The music video features black and white film of Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp, using sign language as they look at the camera.

The decision to play the clip has divided fans, who see it as McCartney showing support for the 59-year-old actor. On June 1 Depp won a defamation trial against Amber Heard, his ex-wife, who must now pay him $15 million in damages.

This is not the first time that McCartney has played clips from the music video during his concerts. Recently, McCartney also featured it during his US Got Back tour while the Heard-Depp trial was ongoing.

“All you need to know about McCartney at Glastonbury is he played a video clip of the abuser Johnny Depp during his set in a completely unasked for and pointless show of Aging Male Pop Star solidarity with men who hurt women. They’re all loathsome,” Tweeted one viewer.

“Aaah I love ‘My Valentine’ and I’m glad gorgeous Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman are being shown on the screens from the video!” said another.

“#PaulMcCartney played a video of #JohnnyDepp during his set tonight headlining at Glastonbury thank you,” said another.

McCartney and Depp are reported to be good friends and Depp has featured in other music videos for McCartney, including in the 2013 video for Queenie Eye.

McCartney also made a cameo as a pirate in the Johnny Depp-starring 2017 film Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge.

During last night’s concert, McCartney was joined on stage with surprise appearances from David Grohl and Bruce Springsteen. He played a wide range of tracks including Dance Tonight, Something, Here Today, Junior’s Farm, Letting Go, Come On to Me, most of the Abbey Road medley and Hey Jude.

The Standard review described the show as a “less predictable evening that won’t be forgotten for a long time”, saying that, “McCartney had taken a long run-up to get to an unbeatable final hour.”