Female Filmmakers Denounce Johnny Depp's San Sebastian Donostia Award; Twitter Defends Actor: ‘Well-Deserved’

Johnny Depp's new recognition received mixed responses from his fans and critics.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor is set to be awarded at the San Sebastian Festival with the highest honor — the Donostia Award — for being "one of contemporary cinema’s most talented and versatile actors." The ceremony will be held on Sept. 22 at the Kursaal Auditorium, Vanity Fair reported.

However, Spain's leading group of female filmmakers disapproved of the move and condemned the festival for giving Depp the honor. According to them, Depp's recognition is giving the event a bad name due to the domestic violence allegations against the actor.

Cristina Andreu, the President of Spain’s Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media, said she was "very surprised" by the decision.

"This speaks very badly of the festival and its leadership and transmits a terrible message to the public: 'It doesn’t matter if you are an abuser as long as you are a good actor,'" Andreu told The Associated Press.

The association has close links to the San Sebastian Festival, so it is studying its next steps concerning the matter.

Meanwhile, Depp's fans celebrated his most recent recognition on Twitter.

"Amazing. A very prestigious award to a well-deserved person Johnny Depp #JohnnyDepp," one commented.

"Congratulations Johnny Depp! Deserved!#JusticeForJohnnyDepp," another added.

"To see an abused man rise to the top again after false allegations is awesome. All the power to this dude," a third netizen wrote.

"He's standing strong despite being treated so badly by MSM. A single judge in the UK decides to trust a woman's words & a handful of apology msg by JD as the Truth of Abuse vs. Mountain full of contradicting evidence. Hope VA brings her lies to light & justice for JD. Well-deserved Award," a fourth supporter wrote with clapping hands sign emoji.

The news of Depp's award came just weeks after he scored a victory in his legal battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The New York Supreme Court has partially granted his request to force the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to release the documents that could confirm whether or not Heard followed through on her pledge to donate the $7 million divorce settlement she received between ACLU and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Heard's lawyer admitted earlier this year that her promise to donate the money has been delayed due to her legal battle against Depp.

"However, Amber has been delayed in that goal because Mr. Depp filed a lawsuit against her, and consequently, she has been forced to spend millions of dollars defending Mr. Depp’s false accusations against her," Heard’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft said in a statement to Deadline in January.