Having missed a news conference a day earlier, Johnny Depp gave a hilarious explanation for his no-show – he was being attacked by a chupacabra. During a meeting with the press in Tokyo, Depp was joking around with the assembled journalists when he gave his reason.

“I was attacked yesterday morning by a very rarely seen or experienced animal called 'chupacabra.' I fought with it for hours," the actor said humourously. "They're very persistent, very mean. And I'm pretty sure it came into my suitcase. I threw him off the 23rd floor. So we'll never see him again. Thank you for understanding.”

Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp jokingly claimed he was attacked by a chupacabra

The chupacabra is a mythical creature that allegedly inhabits the southern and central parts of the American continent, which survives by attacking, killing and draining the blood of livestock, primarily goats. Depp’s fantastical anecdote drew laughs from the reporters.

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Depp’s latest film, the zany comedy Mortdecai, received lukewarm reviews from critics and underwhelmed at the box office when it opened earlier this month, taking a little over $4 million. He was promoting the film ahead of its February 6th Japanese release date, as he has a sizeable following in the country and hopes that the film will perform better there.

The 51 year old actor cancelled a press call on Tuesday because of a cold, though reporters were kept at the venue for almost an hour before it was called off. When asked what his new role Mortdecai would do if he was being attacked by a chupacabra, Depp went into character and replied: “he would probably say something like 'How do you do?'. My name is Charlie Mortdecai and I've come here to take as much money from you as I possibly can. and jewelry, and art, and stuff.'”

More: Has Johnny Depp already made the worst film of 2015 with ‘Mortdecai’?

Watch the trailer for Mortdecai below