Johnny Depp, Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut: Celebrities who claimed they were boycotted by the film industry

Johnny Depp, who was among the first stars to give Hollywood their money-spinning, billion-dollar franchises, has now claimed that the film industry is boycotting him. While he may be among the first few stars to go public with his allegations, he is not alone. From Kangana Ranaut to Jim Caviezel, late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and many others have also spoken about the dark side of the film business. Take a look at celebrities who claimed they were boycotted by the film industry...

Hollywood star Johnny Depp claimed in an interview that he is being "boycotted by Hollywood". In his first interview since losing his libel case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, the actor spoke up about his legal situation and alleged that it was the "absurdity of media mathematics," that is obstructing the release of his latest movie 'Minamata'. "And for anything.... for Hollywood's boycott of me? One man, one actor in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years?" he asked in his interview with The Sunday Times.

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has often spoken about members of the film industry working against her, even alleging that the 'movie mafia' attempted to destroy her both financially and professionally. At the height of her career, she claimed that two 'sudden' cases being slapped on her lead her to being dropped by over 19 brands. Before her controversial posts on Twitter, which lead to her suspension and boycott by fashion brands, the actress was boycotted by a section of the media for refusing to apologise for lashing out at a reporter during a press conference for his review of her film 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'. “I promise one thing that there will be no apology from Kangana,” she tweeted. The ban was eventually lifted a few weeks later.

Oscar-winning director Mel Gibson was also reportedly boycotted by Hollywood, after his brushes with the law and his anti-Semitic rants. His reputation seemed to decline further when a tape saw him violently ranting and cursing at the mother of his youngest child. It was reported that directors and producers refused to work with the star. Despite the negative press and public backlash, Gibson managed to climb his way back up to the top with films like 'Apocalypto', 'Hacksaw Ridge' sweeping top honours at the Academy Awards.

Following the shocking demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, last June, reports alleged that he was boycotted by the Bollywood film industry. Several stars and industry insiders alleged that the boycott could have been a possible reason that drove him to take his life by apparent suicide. The late actor's friend, writer Apurva Asrani penned a Twitter post that read, "The more successful he got, the more he was boycotted, maligned." The post went on to allege, "This system is messed up. Some many talented filmmakers and actors are not getting their due, because a nexus between the powerful and the press exists".

Jim Caviezel was an all-American heartthrob with several hit films to his credit. However, after taking on his career-defining role of Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's biblical drama 'The Passion of The Christ', Caviezel disappeared from the big screens. The actor claimed that accepting the titular role of Christ ensured the death of his career. In fact, he was apparently even warned about taking up the role by the director, who said, "You'll never work in this town again."

Caviezel, however, decided to 'embrace' his cross and forego fame and fortunes to play the role that eventually got him blacklisted.

Priyanka Chopra has become a force to reckon with. The actress not only has a booming Hollywood career but also has a career in Bollywood as an actress and producer. Although she never said that she was "boycotted", tabloid pages have often claimed that the actress was ousted from several projects and boycotted from B-town's "inner circle". Over the years, she has subtly opened up about her battles, saying that she not only lost out on films, but was even replaced and even "thrown out of films" because someone else's girlfriend was recommended even after she signed the project.

It isn't just the big screen bosses that don't play by the rules, at least according to actor Amit Sadh. The star made headlines when he claimed that he was ‘banned’ by the TV industry. Not just that, he alleged that television bosses would call each other and say, "Isko kaam mat do (don't give him work)." However, it all worked in his favour as he then moved on to work in films and land roles in some big Bollywood box-office blockbusters.