Johnny Depp: 'When was the last time an actor assassinated a president?'

by DAVID CAPLAN
Last month, it was comedian Kathy Griffin's infamous beheaded Donald Trump photo that pit the president's supporters against Hollywood.

Now it appears that another Tinseltown figure, actor Johnny Depp, has entered the fray, making controversial comments about assassinating the commander in chief.

While at the Glastonbury Festival on Thursday in the English county of Somerset, Depp brought up the president prior to introducing his 2004 film, "The Libertine."

"Can we bring Trump in?" Depp says to the crowd, which responds with widespread boos, according to videos of the remarks. "No, no, no. You misunderstand completely. I think he needs help. And this is going to be in the press and it'll be horrible. But I like that you are all part of it. When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to clarify: I'm not an actor. I lie for a living however it's been a while. Maybe it's about time."

It's possible that Depp was referencing actor John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

In a statement to ABC News, the Secret Service said: "We actively monitor open source reporting, including social media networks, and we evaluate potential threats. For security reasons, we cannot discuss specifically nor in general terms the means and methods of how we perform our protective responsibilities."

ABC News has asked both Depp's publicist and the White House for comment.