In 2013, during promotion of Johnny Depp’s flop, I mean film, The Lone Ranger, it was alleged that Depp was a descendant of Elizabeth Key Grinstead, the first slave in the American colonies to sue for her freedom and win.
Now, when you go to check the original Ancestry.com article that supposedly posted the findings, it doesn’t exist. But there’s still a citation on Key’s Wikipedia page that includes Depp as one of her ancestors.
There’s no doubt that Grinstead should be a celebrated figure during Black History Month, but actress Kali Hawk probably should have celebrated her on Instagram instead of posting a picture of Depp.
There’s no other proof—besides an Associated Press article that cites the now deleted Ancestry.com article—that Depp is actually a descendant of hers. And there are also plenty of photos of Grinstead that can be found with a simple Google search that could have been used.
But I digress.
Happy Black History Month, Johnny Depp!