The world’s media is having a grand old time covering the salacious celebrity defamation trial in Virginia, Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard, and though neither of them will emerge with their reputations intact, Johnny’s forever friend Shane MacGowan is firmly in his corner.

Shane, the legendary Irish rocker and one of Depp’s BFFs, posted a pic on his Instagram last week with Johnny and the words, “Stay strong brother we are with you.”  

Shane’s wife Victoria Mary Clarke echoed her hubby’s sentiments.

“Nobody who is loved as much as JD is and who brings so much joy to so many people and who cares so deeply about people can possibly ever not be a winner! #justiceforjohnnydepp @johnnydepp,” she wrote.

The Johnny-Shane bromance is decades-long and man, back in the day, did they have a whale of a time together.

“When I met Shane he was negotiating a pool table. There was a drink in this hand, a pint, and in this hand, there was a guitar,” Johnny said last year while promoting the documentary "Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan," which he produced.

“And he was teetering, balancing back and forth trying to negotiate which way to fall. I watched him do that for about 15 minutes.

“Then I was introduced to him, before he fell, and from that moment on you just knew...there are moments in life when you know this will happen one time and one time only, when you get the opportunity to spend time with greatness.

"I can only say I fell in love with him the second I met him and I’m still in love with him to this day.”

*This column first appeared in the April 27 edition of the weekly Irish Voice newspaper, sister publication to IrishCentral.

Read more