Other actors might simply fight off a cold. Johnny Depp, however, has apparently fought off a chupacabra.

At least that’s the story he’s sticking to, by way of explaining his failure to appear Tuesday at a news conference in Tokyo.

“I was attacked yesterday morning by a very rarely seen or experienced animal called the ‘chupacabra,’” the “Mortdecai” star told journalists Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. “I fought with it for hours.”

More than 200 media types had to wait an hour the previous day before learning Depp’s illness was putting the kibosh on the news conference.


“They’re very persistent, very mean,” he said of the legendary creatures known for sucking the blood out of livestock. “And I’m pretty sure it came in my suitcase.”

A chupacabra would, of course, have to have hitched a ride to Japan -- the critters have primarily been tied to the Americas.

“I threw him off the 23rd floor. So we’ll never see him again,” Depp said. “Thank you for understanding.”

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