Shane MacGowan's widow says he urged Johnny Depp to forgive Amber Heard

08 December 2023 , 18:48

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Victoria Clarke says Shane MacGowan urged Johnny Depp to forgive Amber Heard in eulogy

Victoria Mary Clarke has revealed that Shane MacGowan urged Johnny Depp to forgive Amber Heard at the funeral of the late Pogues singer.

The 57-year-old took to the podium of St. Mary's Rosary Church in Nenagh, Tipperary, to deliver a heartfelt eulogy honouring the legacy of her beloved partner towards the end of his Requiem Mass. Speaking to the hundreds inside the building and the countless watching at home, Victoria reflected on Shane's values as both a Christian and a humanitarian. She also shared several exploits from his extraordinary life, which were anchored by his love of music and people.

One of the most notable moments in Victoria's eulogy, however, was her reference to Shane MacGowan's relationship with Johnny Depp. The Irish journalist raised the subject of the Hollywood actor's libel court case with his ex-wife Amber Heard in the middle of the speech, much to the surprise of folks watching at home. Johnny had famously been close friends with both Shane and Victoria, having even flown to Copenhagen in 2018 to attend their wedding.

Johnny Depp arrived for Shane MacGowan's funeral (PA)

"I mean, he just loved humanity and he believed that God is love. And ultimately, God is compassion and God is forgiveness. So Shane, although in the early days when I first met him, he was a little bit slow to forgive Brits... He kind of came around to it, you know? And he started to really, really, really forgive everybody everything immediately. And I hope you don't mind me saying this. But when Johnny (Depp) had a court case involving his ex-wife, Amber, and Shane had a long conversation with you didn't he, and urged you to forgive Amber, which I'm sure you have," before she laughed.

Shane and Victoria took to social media to react to the Depp Vs Heard case verdict in June 2022, which saw Johnny win his multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. "This is just SO ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!!!!! There are no words to express our excitement and gratitude," they penned on Instagram. "We have been praying and praying for this for years and to finally see justice is thrilling beyond measure!!! Well done to everyone involved and well done to everyone who stood by him no matter what!!!"

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Shane and Victoria had publicly sided with Johnny Depp during his court case (Twitter/@Victoriamary)

Shane's procession took place in Dublin before his funeral mass later in the afternoon in Tipperary, where Shane lived until he was six years old. Hundreds of mourners gathered in the streets of Dublin to pay their respects, with fans singing and dancing to The Pogues' hit songs to celebrate the singer's incredible life.

Elsewhere in Victoria's eulogy, she spoke candidly about the multidimensional nature of Shane's personality. "He was very much a humanitarian and a socialist and he loved people, but he didn’t necessarily demonstrate that to his friends always.

“He could be quite cantankerous and rude and sometimes hostile, and I’m sure the Pogues will attest to that. But towards the end, he just told everybody how much he loved them like nurses in the hospital were almost shocked because he would say ‘I love you’ and he’d never even met them before."

Shane was suffering from illness in the years before his death and was hospitalised for viral encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and shingles in December 2022. The star was admitted to the ICU in June, with his wife Victoria Mary Clarke sharing updates on his condition.

Emma Dooney