‘Guess who?’ Johnny Depp appears at the MTV VMAs as the Moonman as he embarks on comeback

Johnny Depp made a surprise comeback appearance in a floating astronaut suit on Sunday during the MTV Video Music Awards in New Jersey.

The 59-year-old actor was shown hovering high above the stage as the network’s Moonman logo with only his face visible on a helmet in his first major public appearance since his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, 36.

Johnny was not actually in the suit, but his voice could be heard saying, ‘I just want you guys to know that I’m available for birthdays, Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, wakes, any old thing you need.’

‘And you know what? I needed the work,’ Johnny also said.

The actor also shared a clip of the video on Instagram.

He wrote in the caption for his roughly 27.5 million followers, ‘guess who? #VMAs’.

The MTV Video Music Awards appearance was Johnny’s first major sighting on US television since he was a guest in 2017 on the Jimmy Kimmel Live talk show. 

High above: The 59-year-old actor was shown hovering high above the stage as the network’s Moonman logo with only his face visible on a helmet

Social media: Johnny, shown in September 2021 in France, also shared a clip of the video on Instagram

Giving testimony: Amber Heard is shown in May giving testimony in the explosive Depp v. Heard defamation trial in Virginia

Comeback trail: Johnny, shown testifying at his defamation trial against Amber in April, has been staging a comeback since winning his lawsuit

MTV launched on August 1, 1981, with NASA footage of the historic Apollo 11 landing in 1969 with the MTV flag being planted on the moon.

Those first images were followed by the first music video of Video Killed The Radio Star by the Buggles.

The Moonman has been the centerpiece of the VMA winner’s statue and in 2017 the network unveiled a new ‘Moon Person’ design to mark its 40th anniversary.

Iconic imagery: MTV launched on August 1, 1981, with NASA footage of the historic Apollo 11 landing in 1969 with the MTV flag being planted on the moon

Johnny sued his ex-wife Amber in February 2019 over her December 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post and she countersued him in August 2020.

The Depp v. Heard trial was held in Fairfax County, Virginia from April 2022 to June 2022 and its livestream was widely watched and generated heavy traffic on social media.

The jury found in favor of Johnny who was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Amber. The punitive damages were later lowered to $350,000 due to a limit imposed by Virginia state law.

Public trial: Johnny sued his ex-wife Amber, shown together in October 2015 in London, in February 2019 over her December 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post and she countersued him in August 2020