TABRIZ, IRAN: In Middle Eastern social media circles, pictures of a Johnny Depp look-alike attending a solemn Muslim religious ceremony in Iran have gone viral.
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Depp’s doppelganger was spotted at the Shia Ashura festival recently in Tabriz, Iran, sporting the actor’s signature hair, goatee and sunglasses. The man can be seen raising ceremonial sticks in a ritual in one clip.
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The striking resemblance sparked a wave of theories online, with some speculating that the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star had fled to Iran to regroup after his legal dispute with ex-wife Amber Heard and left Hollywood.
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Iranian model Amin Sal’es, who appears to be modeled after the American actor on his modest Instagram page, was eventually identified as Depp’s twin Tabrizi by local media.
The model’s following grew as a result of the publicity from his participation in this event. Currently, he has 10,000 followers on Instagram despite only having seven posts.
According to some publications, Sal’s success with regional Iranian agencies was entirely attributed to his resemblance to the ‘Edward Scissorhands’ actor. One report noted that in addition to modeling, the model also gives advice to college applicants.
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The real Depp, meanwhile, just signed a seven-figure deal to continue serving as the face of Sauvage by Christian Dior.
According to a TMZ source, the deal was recently put together and finalized after Dior executives and renowned fashion photographer Greg Williams showed their support for Depp by attending one of his and Jeff Beck’s rock concerts in Paris, France .
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According to a different source, Williams and Depp took some pictures before and after the Paris show, and the images will be used in a new Dior ad campaign.
On August 8, 2022, images and videos taken by Williams backstage at one of his rock concerts in Paris were posted on Dior Beauty’s official Instagram account. The caption read: “Fearless yet human, just like Sauvage.” Many admirers expressed their support for Depp and Dior in the comments section.
According to Business of Fashion, Sauvage has surpassed popular women’s fragrances from Chanel and other top brands to become the world’s best-selling fragrance since Depp first signed with Dior in 2017.
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However, the collaboration has not been without controversy. In 2019, a Sauvage ad starring Depp and including imagery from Native American culture prompted claims of cultural appropriation. When the actor lost a defamation case against a British newspaper for calling him a “wife beater,” Dior still stood by him.
Depp’s defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard has dominated news coverage of late, with Dior maintaining its contractual obligations to the star throughout.
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According to the Wall Street Journal, the strategy appeared to be successful as many fans bought Sauvage at websites like Sephora and Ulta to show support during the legal proceedings.
According to TMZ, Dior even aired Depp’s Sauvage ad on Fox during primetime after the ‘Edward Scissorhands’ actor won the lawsuit in June.
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