Hollywood is currently buzzing with celebrity relationship news. Just when fans were still reeling from the rumors of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s possible split, another surprising rumor came floating around. The 20-year-old Wednesday star Jenna Ortega and the 60-year-old veteran actor Johnny Depp are now being linked for dating speculation.

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The rumors have sent shockwaves across the internet, mainly due to the significant 40-year age gap between the two actors. Though the two have never starred in a film together, fans speculate that the two might share the screen in Tim Burton’s upcoming sequel Beetlejuice 2.

According to NME, the dating rumors first surfaced when a gossip account on X (Twitter) Deuxmoi reported a sighting of the two together. Even though anything can happen in the unpredictable world of Hollywood, is there any substantial basis for these rumors?

Is Jenna Ortega dating Johnny Depp?

The rumors of Jenna Ortega dating Johnny Depp gained immense attention and elicited plenty of discussions on social media. The speculations soon reached the two actors, who have since come forward to set things straight. Jenna, who is currently shooting for Beetlejuice 2, responded to rumors on her Instagram account and wrote in a now-expired story:

“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.”

The rumors also reached Johnny Depp, who is now reclaiming his position in Hollywood after struggling for months during the Depp v. Heard defamation trial that cost him his reputation and career at the time. The actor’s representatives issued an official statement, as reported by NME, categorically dismissing the dating rumors as “baseless and malicious”:

“Mr. Depp has no personal or professional relationship with Ms. Ortega whatsoever. 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 rumors that are intended to harm his reputation and career.”

The rumors gained huge traction partly because of the previous year’s unconfirmed rumors about Depp’s involvement in Beetlejuice 2. The actor reportedly appeared on the cast list on Google searches alongside Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, leading to excitement among fans (via Daily Mail). Now, reports of him being spotted with Ortega caused fans to believe he might actually be in the film, leading to speculation that the dating rumors might be true.

But clearly, the dating speculations are a hoax and hold no basis or proof to them. The account that initially propagated this outlandish rumor explicitly states in its bio that the information it publishes is not grounded in fact. Both Ortega and Depp quickly reacted to the situation and requested everyone to stop fueling the rumors further.