Robert Downey Jr. sparks debate after praising ‘brother’ Johnny Depp for his art

Robert Downey Jr. recently shared a video of himself exploring Johnny Depp’s latest art exhibition which has resulted in impassioned debates online.

Earlier this month Depp unveiled a new art exhibit called A Bunch of Stuff at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

According to its website, the exhibition aims to 'uncovers a never before seen side to Johnny Depp through his artwork, personal belongings, and a cinematic immersive experience'.

Fellow actor Downey Jr. decided to pay it a visit and shared part of his experience in a video on his Instagram page last week.

He captioned the clip: "Wow… Don’t miss A Bunch of Stuff now on exhibition at the Starrett-[Lehigh] Building in NYC."

Tagging Depp in the caption, the Iron Man star added: “My brother JD is an artist through and through, no surprise, just delight."

However, for some, this has caused a bit of a stir and seemingly sparked a debate.

The controversy surrounding Downey’s support stemmed from the legal issues Depp has faced over the last few years with his former wife, Amber Heard.

In 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post, titled: "I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change."

Although she did not name Depp directly, his lawyers believed that it falsely implied that he'd been abusive to Heard during their relationship, and in 2022, he sued her for defamation - which she, in turn, countersued him.

The actor has remained a contentious figure in the public eye over the years (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for A Bunch of Stuff)

The trial ultimately went in Depp's favor, and jurors awarded the star $15 million in compensatory and punitive damages, as per the BBC.

Heard was also given $2 million in compensation after winning one of her three counterclaims against her ex-husband, though received nothing in punitive damages.

After the verdict of the highly publicized trial, Depp said: "The jury gave me my life back."

Despite this, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor has remained a contentious figure in the public eye.

When Downey Jr.'s clip was shared on Reddit, some users had their reservations as one wrote: “RDJ bringing up Mr. Depp's name in 2024? He needs to focus on himself.”

Robert Downey Jr. and Johnny Depp pictured in 2011 (Vince Bucci/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

However, others noted that the actors, who first worked together back in 2000, are long-time pals.

One said: "These guys have probably been friends for decades."

Another added: "So wonderful longtime friends supporting each other."

On Downey’s social media page, fans commenting on the video were less fazed by his endorsement of Depp and claimed they would be visiting the exhibition.