After years of battling it out in court, it seems as though the savage Johnny Depp and Amber Heard saga might be finally coming to an end. Hear all about it below:
This week – on the final day of Depp’s libel suit against UK publication The Sun – Heard delivered a powerful speech to the press and public. “After obtaining a restraining order in 2016 and finalising my divorce, I just wanted to move on my life. I did not file this lawsuit and, despite its significance, I would have preferred not to be here in court.”
“It has been incredibly painful to relive the break up of my relationship, have my motives and my truth questioned, and the most traumatic and intimate details of my life with Johnny shared in court and broadcast around the world,” she said, despite boos and shouts of “justice for Johnny” from onlookers.
So, how did this messy court battle begin?
Heard and Depp wed in a private ceremony in 2015 and apart from their dog-related biosecurity breach in Australia and infamous apology video, things seemed to be going well for the newlyweds.
However, just one year after tying the knot, Heard filed for divorce and for a temporary restraining order against Johnny. The actress claimed he physically abused her and after a lot of ‘he said, she said’, Depp paid Heard a settlement $7M, and the pair finalised their divorce in 2017. Heard reportedly donated most of the money to charity.
But, that wasn’t the end of the nightmare.
In 2018 – at the peak of the #MeToo movement – Heard wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post about her being a survivor of domestic abuse. While Heard never specifically named Depp in the piece, he sued her for $50M for defamation.
Two years on, and what must’ve been some incredibly expensive court proceedings, Depp filed a libel suit against The Sun over a 2018 article in which the publication called him a “wife beater”.
During the three-week trial, Depp and Heard made some shocking allegations against each other. Depp alleged that Heard had defecated in their bed, punched him and had affairs with everyone from James Franco to Elon Musk. On the other hand, Heard accused Depp of physically abusing her, throwing a phone at her face, leaving her bruised and even threatening to kill her on multiple occasions.
It’s distressing to think Johnny Depp and Amber Heard officially split up in 2017 but they’re still battling it out in court three years on. Sadly, it doesn’t sound like anyone is going to come out of this saga unscathed, and ultimately, there will be no winners.
If you, or anyone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 1800 RESPECT for support.
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