Johnny Depp has received a Gold Medal of Merit in Serbia and reportedly said he believes he is “on the verge of a new life”.

The actor was awarded the honour yesterday (February 15) during a ceremony honouring Serbian Stategood Day in Belgrade, Serbia, hosted by Serbian President Alexsandar Vucic.

According to local news outlet Balkan Insight, Depp was award the honour for his “outstanding merits in public and cultural activities, especially in the field of film art and the promotion of the Republic of Serbia in the world”.

Receiving the award, The Daily Mail reports that Depp said: “I truly, sincerely thank you, President Vucic, and this medal of merit, if I am given the honour to walk away with this, I thank you for being kind enough to bestow it upon me.”

The publication went on to say that Depp explained he was “right now on the verge of a new life”, adding: “I like a re-beginning, and I would love for that beginning to start here.”

The actor had labelled himself a victim of “cancel culture” last year after being dropped from a number of projects in light of losing his bid to overturn a libel case that concluded he assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Meanwhile, a documentary series focusing on the relationship between Johnny Depp and Heard is currently in development at Discovery+.

The two-part series, called Johnny Vs. Amber, will break down the couple’s marriage, divorce and consequent legal action against each other, from multiple viewpoints.

“Through the tapes, home videos and text messages shown in court, these films give viewers a rare and important insight into a marriage that went tragically wrong, and to better understand the hugely important issue of domestic violence,” explained producer Nick Hornby, via Deadline.

Charlotte Reid, VP commissioning for entertainment at Discovery, added: “The story of what happened between Johnny and Amber continues to be hugely divisive, between fans and the public at large.

“We set out to make a documentary that would explore the story from each of their perspectives, so the viewer can go beyond the headlines, understand who they are, and decide who they should believe in this complex human story.”