Actor Johnny Depp has purportedly filed $50 million defamation claim against ex-wife, Amber Heard. The lawsuit is over the op-ed Heard published in the Washington Post last December. In the article, Heard accounts her experiences with domestic violence but never mentions her ex-husband by name.
Depp and Heard have been in and out of legal battles with one another since Heard filed for divorce in 2016. Shortly after their separation, Heard rescinded her initial abuse claims and released a public statement that cleared the A-list couple of all abuse allegations:
“Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm. Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future.”
However, in the actor’s op-ed, Heard condemned the previous statement and described her regret in abandoning fellow abuse survivors, “I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.”
Depp and his lawyers have denied all allegations. Depp and his team claim the article is an “…an elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity for Ms. Heard and advance her career.” Depp claims that Heard “is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator.”
Heard and Depp are each attached to significant properties. Heard will be expanding her role in the Aquaman sequel and the DCU while Depp is the central villain in the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts. It remains to be seen whether the legal battle between Depp and Heard will have an effect on their respective projects. This news was first reported by Variety
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