It would seem as though the legal battle between Amber Heard and ex-husband Johnny Depp is never-ending and it’s beginning to affect their upcoming movie projects.
Fans of Depp have created a petition on Change.org titled “Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2” which is looking for 35,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, Heard recently requested her former husband submit a mental health assessment as part of the $50 million defamation lawsuit he has filed against the actress.
The lawsuit came after Heard wrote a Washington Post op-ed about being the victim of domestic abuse and while Depp wasn’t named in the piece, he claims the inferences were strong enough to defame him.
Depp alleges that the article made him lose the role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films – meanwhile, Disney has never publicly revealed the future of Depp in the franchise, though they do reportedly have plans for a reboot which wouldn’t include the actor.
In a different lawsuit that Depp filed against his former attorney, Heard came up again as it was alleged that Depp had personally requested former Warner Bros. boss Kevin Tsujihara to fire her from Aquaman and block her from getting any roles with Warner Bros. However, Tsujihara left Warner Bros on bad terms following a sexual misconduct casting couch scandal.
The Change.Org petition alleges Heard “has been exposed as a domestic abuser” and that is why she should be removed from Aquaman 2.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Warner Bros execs, who seem to be on Heard’s side, were worried about working with Depp on the Fantastic Beasts franchise following the legal battle between the pair.
Sources told The Post, “Executives at Warner Bros. are wondering how to deal with the backlash of the Depp matter on the Harry Potter franchise. High-level female execs at the studio are extremely worried about working with Depp and the message it sends to the public, especially after the recent sordid departure of CEO Kevin Tsujihara.”
“This is yet another blow to the morale of female employees at the studio. If Warner Bros. continues to stick by Depp, it would reveal a lot about the values the company holds,” they added.
As far as we can tell, neither parties have succeeded and Heard will continue as Mera in Aquaman 2 and Depp will still be playing Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Plus, it would likely take a whole lot more than 35,000 people to get Warner Bros. to change their mind about Heard considering the first Aquaman movie made over $1 billion…
Aquaman 2 is set for release on December 2022.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, there is help available. Call 1800Respect on 1800 737 732 or Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24-hour support. If it is an emergency call 000.