Los Angeles Times “Styles and Scenes” columnist Elizabeth Snead finally got her facts straight–thank goodness. After publishing a column that unfairly criticized Johnny Depp for ignoring his fans at the premiere of DEAD MAN’S CHEST at Disneyland on Saturday, Ms. Snead wrote a follow-up “Styles and Scenes” column which more accurately reflected what really happened Saturday. Yes, Disneyland was unprepared to handle the massive crowd that turned out to see Johnny Depp; 5,000 people camped out overnight in the parking lot just to be first through the gates Saturday morning. “Unlike some stars, Johnny Depp is very appreciative of and loyal to his fans and he always makes time for them at his public appearances,” a source told the LA Times. “They all know this and that’s why they show up in droves. He started signing autographs for fans in the front of the park around 6:45 and spent two hours doing it. He didn’t even do his first interview with ET until 8:45.”

Viewers of the live webcast on msn.com saw Johnny signing autographs along the red carpet, often leaning over after a TV interview to reach a few more people behind the barricades. Zoners who were present at the event wrote of Johnny jogging from one side of the red carpet to the other to greet as many fans as possible. There were just “too many fans, too little time,” Ms. Snead concedes. “But the tremendous turn-out is proof that Depp’s popularity with fans of all ages and both genders has now hit superstar status. And he didn’t even have to jump on Oprah’s couch to get up there.”

Snead then reveals that Johnny made time in his crowded schedule on premiere day to do lunch . . . not with the media or Hollywood executives, but “with several children with life-threatening illnesses whose dream was to meet the actor. [. . .] Depp has worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation since his days on the late 80’s TV series 21 JUMP STREET.” Have Johnny’s generous spirit and down-to-earth priorities finally won over the columnist? “This totally defuses any annoyance about Depp’s subsequent truncated time on the red carpet,” Ms. Snead writes. “Choosing to make seriously ill kids happy over inane pointless press interviews? Hard to argue with that.”

The Zone thanks DeepinDepp for posting Ms. Snead’s column on our News & Views forum. You can read the earlier column HERE and the more accurate follow-up column HERE.