LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The 'Wednesday' star Jenna Ortega, 20, took to her Instagram Story to address the dating rumors linking her to Johnny Depp, 60, writing, "This is so ridiculous I can't even laugh."
"I have never met or worked with Johnny Depp in my life. Please stop spreading lies and leave us alone," added the actress, as per Daily Mail.
Why was Jenna Ortega linked to Johnny Depp?
Rumors of Jenna Ortega dating Johnny Depp started after the celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi claimed she was spotted with the 'Edward Scissorhands' star, according to NME.
The account also purportedly claimed that Depp and Ortega could likely share the screen in the upcoming sequel of the 1988 film 'Beetlejuice', as the 'Wednesday' sensation was seen filming for it before the commencement of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Notably, 'Beetlejuice 2' is scheduled to release in 2024, and the film is said to retain most of the original cast. While Winona Ryder has been roped in to reprise her role of Lydia Deetz, Ortega will be portraying her daughter.
Michael Keaton will also don the costume of his character Beetlejuice again for moviegoers to enjoy the much-loved antics. As per reports, Filipe Cates and Justin Theroux have also joined the cast for the upcoming Tim Burton flick.
Johnny Depp's representative dispelled rumors surrounding Jenna Ortega
Apart from Jenna Ortega, a representative of Johnny Depp dismissed the speculations with conviction, stating, "Mr Depp has no personal or professional relationship with Ms Ortega whatsoever."
They also dispelled the speculation surrounding Depp's appearance in 'Beetlejuice 2'.
"He has never met her or spoken to her. He is not involved in any project with her, nor does he intend to be. He is appalled by these baseless and malicious rumours that are intended to harm his reputation and career," read the statement, as per NME.
Jenna Ortega previously blamed social media for influencing 'bandwagon mentality'
This is, however, not the first time Jenna Ortega has clapped back at social media.
During an interview with Elle Fanning for Variety's 'Actors On Actors' series, she acceded that her equation with Instagram can best be described as "ugly" while adding her sense of humor has the capability of creating predicaments for her.
She also talked about the culture of celebrity veneration, adding, "I want people to be able to get to know the people behind the camera and realize that people should never be put on a pedestal."
"And the more I've been exposed to the world, people prey on that and take advantage of that. They see your vulnerability and twist it in a way that you don’t always expect," continued the actress.
Ortega expressed, "I don't want to feel gross. I would rather people see me cry and do whatever than be something I'm not."
The 'Scream' star added, "Social media, what it does to anyone our age, it's such a comparing game. It influences bandwagon mentality. It's very manipulative. After the show, I'm really nervous to post or even say anything on there or even be myself."
