Ed Sheeran and Russell Crowe have raised a few online eyebrows after posting a photo alongside actor Johnny Depp.

The Shape Of You hitmaker, 33, and the Gladiator star, 60, posed alongside Depp with a Guinness in hand, in a picture posted online by Crowe.

It was met with criticism, after the Pirates of the Caribbean actor’s high-profile defamation case with ex-wife Amber Heard in 2022, which was broadcast to the world via livestream.

Although Depp won the US trial, there is still controversy surrounding him given the actor lost a libel case in the UK two years earlier, in which the court ruled The Sun newspaper did not defame him when they referred to him as a ‘wife beater’ in a headline.

So when a picture emerged of acoustic golden boy Sheeran and actor Crowe sipping pints with Depp backstage at an Andrea Bocelli concert, some weren’t too impressed.

Alongside the picture Crowe posted on X, he wrote: ‘Teatro del Silenzio backstage shenanigans with Teddy & Johnny. Lubrication by Guinness. Perfect. Grazie Millie Maestro Andrea Bocelli. What an incredible experience.’

Ed Sheeran with guitar and hand in the air
Some of Ed Sheeran’s fans weren’t happy with the singer (Picture: Timothy Norris/Getty Images)

Russell Crowe Ed Sheeran and Johnny Depp drinking Guinness
Russell Crowe posted this picture on X (Picture: X/Russell Crowe)
‘I officially dislike Ed Sheeran,’ commented @thisisuma, while @emmkick wrote: ‘NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.’

‘Can we cancel the ginger now?’ asked @SailorSammy93, as @EllenSowersby echoed this, adding: ‘Well that’s Russell and Ed cancelled. Hanging out with that guy. Really?’

‘Disgusting,’ commented @hughgrnt, as @effoff1988 said, ‘Oh, Ed Sheeran, alongside a gif of Tyra Banks shouting: ‘I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you! How dare you!’

Others thought it was an iconic picture though, as@Sonia_Rose1 said: ‘Cool photo, what an amazing experience for you guys.’

‘3 great artists in the same picture,’ commented @crowe_spain, while @CGeee said: ‘Man, that’s a crew alright! How could you not have some fun!’

‘Oh my goodness! So much love, so many legends, so much awesomeness in this epic picture!’ said @Kasperfc91.

‘This is such an epic photo,’ added @Sarah_Katilyn.

Andrea Bocelli, Johnny Depp, Ed Sheeran, Will Smith, Jaden Smith
The stars were backstage at Andrea Bocelli’s concert in Tuscany, for which Sheeran, Depp and Crowe all performed at. They were also joined by Will and Jaden Smith (Picture: Instagram / Andrea Bocelli)

Ed Sheeran playing guitar beside Andrea Bocelli
Ed performed a duet with the Italian tenor (Andrea Bocelli/Instagram

Johnny Depp performs with Andrea Bocelli and honors Jeff Beck with a tribute during concert in Italy
Depp performed with him in honour of Jeff Beck (Picture: Andrea Bocelli/Instagram)

Russell Crowe singing
Crowe also made an on stage appearance at the event (Picture: Andrea Bocelli/Instagram)
A video of Bocelli’s backstage situation also went viral, which saw stars posing for a picture including the Italian singer, Depp, Sheeran, Crowe, and also Will Smith and son Jaden Smith.

All of the stars had roles in Bocelli’s Tuscany show, as Ed had performed on stage in a duet with the tenor. But fans also weren’t impressed with this backstage footage.

‘Ed Sheerman. Noo! Why!? I never listen again to a song from him,’ wrote @realfranfox in response to the video.

‘Oh! That was one person I definitely never expected to see next to that man wtf ed 😢,’ said @hannahw879, while @conorkebab wrote: ‘any male celebrity that associates with Johnny Depp.. 🚩 🚩 🚩’

‘Wowwwww everyone is disgusting in hollywood huh,’ added @hotgirltitan.

Having now appeared on Netflix, the Depp vs Heard trial shocked the world as disturbing details of their private relationship were exposed.

The US defamation case came about after Heard referred to herself as a victim of domestic abuse in a Washington Post opinion piece without naming Depp. Heard counter-sued, and jurors awarded Depp – who denied abusing Heard – $15m (£12m) in compensatory and punitive damages.

The Aquaman actress won one of three counter-claims against Depp and was awarded $2m (£1.54m) in compensatory damages.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in court
Depp won his defamation case against Amber Heard in 2022 (Picture: STEVE HELBER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
While the US courts found Heard had defamed Depp by referring to herself as a victim of domestic abuse, two years earlier in the UK- where defamation is easier to convict – it was ruled Depp had abused Heard.

The US case was later dubbed a ‘trial by TikTok’ as, unusually, the jurors were allowed access to their phones throughout the trial, which some suggested might have swayed their view – as social media was flooded with hate for Heard.

Meanwhile, a recent investigation by Tortoise Media called Who Trolled Amber? claims that, bizarrely, Depp’s relationship with the Saudi Arabian government might have had something to do with the social media hate Heard experienced throughout the proceedings.

The outlet suggested that the Saudi Arabian government were linked to online robot trolls, seemingly put in place to sway social media conversation against Heard, and in favour of Depp.