Johnny Depp signs biggest-ever $20mn+ men's fragrance deal with Dior

LOS ANGELES: French luxury fashion house and cosmetic giant Dior is doubling down on its relationship with Johnny Depp, reports 'Variety'.

Having stood by the star even when he faced choppy PR waters amid his legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, Dior has now signed Depp to a massive deal, marking it the biggest men's fragrance pact ever, 'Variety' adds.

Sources quoted by 'Variety' peg the three-year deal at upwards of $20 million, which eclipses Robert Pattinson's $12-million deal to serve as spokesperson for Dior Homme and Brad Pitt's $7-million pact to promote Chanel No. 5.

A source familiar with the fragrance industry told 'Variety' that most A-listers with fragrance deals pull in around $2 million to $4 million per year, such as Chris Pine, whose deal with Armani is valued at $4 million a year for over three years.

Since 2015, the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star has served as the face of Dior Sauvage, with an ad campaign that leaned into his image as a wild rocker, according to 'Variety'.

The company was under pressure to drop Depp after a U.K. court ruled against him in his 2020 libel suit against 'The Sun' over its description of him as a "wife beater" with regards to Heard.

But Depp's marketability improved dramatically last year after he prevailed in a closely watched defamation trial against Heard, and Dior Sauvage sales skyrocketed. Bernard Arnault, CEO of Dior's parent company LVMH, even cited the "image of Johnny Depp" as one of the main reasons why the cologne had been "a remarkable success".