Amber Heard is all over the news for her messy relationship with Johnny Depp, but there's
a lot more to the actress than that – like her Elon Musk connection, her dog-smuggling
problem, problems with "Playboy," and more.
Amber Heard has played plenty of gun-toting characters on screen, and in real life, she's
no stranger to firearms.
In fact, back in 2010, the actor told the Daily Mail that she's "a good shot," adding,
"I love guns — I own several."
She also issued a not-so-veiled warning to would-be burglars:
"I sleep with my gun in a place that's close enough that if I needed to protect myself,
I could.
It's not in bed with me, though; it's in a safe location."
Declaring that she's "fully trained" and had been maintaining an active membership at a
gun club, Heard declared herself to be "definitely pro-gun" — a trait the Texas native inherited
from her father.
As Heard recalled during a 2013 appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," she was mere minutes
away from stepping on a plane to leave her hometown and pursue her Hollywood dreams when
her father gave his then-teenage daughter a special parting gift.
Heard told Kimmel,
"[He] took out a pearl-handled .38 special and handed it to me and said, 'Hey baby girl,
I got you a pretty one.
It don't got a hammer.
So you just pull it right out of your purse!'"
Amber Heard shared her love of muscle cars during a 2010 interview with the Daily Mail,
telling the tabloid,
"I love cars that have character, and I've had a number of them, including a '63 Checker
and a '67 Mercedes.
My dad taught me enough about cars so that I'd never have to ask a man on the side of
the road for help: I hot-wire my own cars."
Need some proof?
Nine years later, the actor picked up her Wonderland magazine interviewer in a fully-restored,
cherry-red Mustang.
Fans of TLC's "Overhaulin'" series may recognize her ride from a 2015 episode, in which then-husband
Johnny Depp surprised her by having the car completely restored to mint condition.
When the time came for the big reveal, Heard opened her eyes and immediately covered her
mouth in shock.
"Holy s--t!
Oh my god, it's so beautiful!"
While speaking with the Daily Mail, Amber Heard revealed that she was comfortable with
stripping down for movie roles, noting that she'd performed nude in previous projects.
However, nudity was at the heart of the actor's legal battle surrounding the film, "London
Fields."
"I have the makings of a really snappy little thriller."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, producers sued Heard for $10 million for alleged breach
of contract in November 2016, claiming that she'd "disregarded contractual obligations
by failing to render acting services in conformity with the shooting script," including boycotting
the movie's 2015 premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, which was ultimately canceled
in the wake of other legal disputes.
For her part, Heard fired back with a counter-complaint in March 2017, telling a judge in her testimony
that the case, quote, "shines a spotlight on the dark underbelly of Hollywood."
Her lawyer contended that Heard was victimized by producer Christopher Hanley and wife Roberta,
after she insisted on "specific restrictions about nudity and sex scenes" that were conditional
on her taking the role.
She accused the producers of violating her "nudity rider" by hiring a body double of
her character to film a "pornographic" scene without her knowledge or consent.
A settlement was reached in 2018.
Back in 2011, Amber Heard was cast in "The Playboy Club," a short-lived NBC drama set
in Hugh Hefner's Chicago nightclub during the early 1960s.
Heard, who played a Bunny working at the club, described the show as "something that feels
naughty, but nice," to NBC Los Angeles.
As you might guess from its premise, however, the show was controversial.
The Parents Television Council slammed "The Playboy Club" as "degrading and sexualizing,"
while feminist activist Gloria Steinem hoped viewers would boycott it entirely.
Steinem got her wish when the series flopped, and was canceled after just three episodes.
Two years later, Heard opened up about the unenviable position she'd found herself in
at the time by constantly facing questions about the backlash during interviews.
The actor told Bullit magazine,
"I became the show's default, unintentional spokesperson, which I wasn't capable of doing.
I wasn't the show's creator.
I was stuck in front of the press and left to defend 'The Playboy Club' when, in fact,
I can't stand for the integrity of the show.
I wasn't in control of it by any means."
Four years after Amber Heard met Johnny Depp on the set of 2011's "The Rum Diary," the
pair wed ... but controversy ensued just a few months later.
According to BBC News, the newlyweds flew to Australia in May 2015, but neglected to
declare their two Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, to customs officials.
Australia maintains strict quarantines over the importation of animals, and the country's
agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, was simply not having it.
Joyce set an ultimatum, the Guardian reported: The dogs were to be sent back to the United
States within 72 hours or they would be euthanized.
Joyce said,
"It's time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States."
Just before the deadline expired, the pets were shipped stateside, and lived to wag another
day.
But while Depp did not face repercussions from the incident, Heard did.
According to CNN, she was hit with two charges of illegal import of animals and one charge
of knowingly producing a false or misleading document.
The following year, Heard pled guilty to the charges related to the false document, while
the other charges were dropped.
Dog smuggling was far from the only scandal to emerge from the short-lived marriage of
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
According to E! News' timeline of their relationship, the couple — who were 22 years apart in
age — split up in May 2016, with their acrimonious divorce being finalized that December.
But days after filing for divorce, Heard sought a restraining order against Depp, alleging
that she had been the victim of domestic violence.
Appearing in court at the time, Heard claimed that, throughout the marriage,
"I endured excessive emotional, verbal and physical abuse from Johnny."
Meanwhile, photos of her bruised face emerged, and Depp denied the allegations.
In December 2018, Heard penned an op-ed for the Washington Post, detailing her alleged
experiences as a victim of domestic abuse, but never explicitly mentioned Depp by name.
Her ex-husband later filed a $50 million lawsuit in response, leading Heard to file a motion
to dismiss the case, in which she claimed she was shoved, choked, and hit by the "Pirates
of the Caribbean" star during various alleged incidents.
Alleging that Depp would undergo a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality shift and "become a totally different
person," she added, "We called that version of Johnny, 'the Monster.'"
Johnny Depp has continually denied all allegations of domestic violence lodged against him by
Amber Heard.
As mentioned, he filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex, seeking a staggering $50 million
in damages, in March 2019, in which he described Heard's op-ed in the Washington Post as part
of her, quote, "elaborate hoax."
While Depp was not identified in the piece, the legal docs contended it depended, "on
the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated
domestic violence against her."
Stating that Heard's motivation was to positively "advance her career," Depp claimed,
"She hit, punched and kicked me.
She also repeatedly and frequently threw objects into my body and head."
In 2020, a 2015 audio recording was leaked through the Daily Mail that revealed Heard
allegedly telling Depp,
"I f---ing was hitting you ... I did not punch you, I was hitting you."
That March, Heard's motion to dismiss Depp's lawsuit was denied, and the case remains ongoing
as of the making of this video.
Amid these conflicting accusations, fans siding with Depp have demanded Heard be removed from
her role as Queen Mera in "Aquaman 2" through a Change.org petition with over 405,000 signatures.
However, she's since remained attached to the flick.
After Johnny Depp and Amber Heard finalized their divorce in late 2016, the actor received
a reported $6.8 million in the settlement.
At the time, the former couple issued a joint statement, which read, in part,
"Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by
love.
Neither party has made false accusations for financial gains."
The statement also announced that Heard would "[donate] financial proceeds from the divorce
to a charity."
While the announcement about her planned donation was met with skepticism, she made good on
that pledge.
According to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles roster of donors for 2018, Heard is listed
in the "honor roll" of donors who contributed between $1 million and $5 million.
The remainder of the nearly $7 million was reportedly divvied up to various charities
focused on ending domestic violence, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.
After the dust had settled and the divorce was finalized, Heard had a reported $9 million
to her name.
Long before her accusations against ex-husband Johnny Depp (and his own against her), Amber
Heard had an earlier experience with domestic violence.
In that previous incident, however, she was the alleged perpetrator, not the victim.
According to a 2016 report from USA Today, Heard was previously arrested in September
2009, when the actor and her then-girlfriend, artist Tasya van Ree, had a spat at the Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport.
Things supposedly became physical when Heard allegedly grabbed and struck van Ree's arm,
and was subsequently arrested for misdemeanor assault in the fourth degree.
However, prosecutors decided not to press charges when she appeared in court the following
day.
When the story resurfaced seven years later, van Ree released a statement in defense of
her famous ex, claiming Heard had been "wrongfully" accused when the officers who made the arrest,
quote, "misinterpreted and over-sensationalized" their quarrel.
She also alleged that the former couple experienced the arresting officers' — in her words — "misogynistic
attitudes toward us which later appeared to be homophobic when they found out we were
domestic partners and not just 'friends.'"
Van Ree continued,
"It's disheartening that Amber's integrity and story are being questioned yet again.
[…] We shared 5 wonderful years together and remain close to this day."
In the summer of 2016, shortly after her messy separation from Johnny Depp, reports emerged
that Amber Heard was getting cozy with billionaire Tesla founder Elon Musk.
While a source initially told People the two were just friends, they were subsequently
spotted spending a lot of time together.
Finally, in April 2017, they made their first public appearance as a couple, with Heard
seemingly confirming the romance rumors by posting a photo of herself and Musk on Instagram.
Heard, wearing bright red lipstick, had her arm on Musk's shoulder in the pic, with his
head turned to the side to display a lipstick kiss on his cheek.
"Cool."
By August of that year, however, Us Weekly reported that they'd split up.
According to a source cited by the magazine, the breakup was simply a matter of bad timing,
with Musk "super busy" and Heard filming "Aquaman" in Australia.
Both Musk and Heard subsequently confirmed they'd split — but then apparently got back
together again after ringing in the New Year together in Chile.
By February 2018, however, People reported that they'd mutually decided to split up again,
this time for good.
An insider explained to the publication,
"They both still care deeply for each other, but the timing wasn't right."
Amber Heard has been in romantic relationships with men and women throughout her life, but
admitted she wasn't ready for the shockwaves and headlines that hit when she casually opened
up about her sexuality at the 2010 GLAAD Awards.
Years later, she recalled to reporters at the Economist's second annual Pride & Prejudice
event,
"I just answered honestly.
I could tell by the look on this person's face it was a big deal.
My poor publicist.
Then I realized the gravity of what I had done and why so many people — studio execs,
agents, advisors — did not want this coming before my name."
However, Heard bristled at being labeled as bisexual.
She explained in an interview with Allure in 2017,
"I don't identify as anything.
I'm a person.
I like who I like."
That said, she went on to reveal how she was cautioned that going public about her sexual
fluidity would cause her career to nosedive:
"Everyone said, 'You're throwing it all away.
You can't do this to your career.'
And I said, 'I cannot do this any other way.
Watch me.'
[...] I didn't come out.
I was never in."
In April 2021, Amber Heard became a mother, welcoming daughter Oonagh Paige via a surrogate.
Heard announced the birth on Instagram and addressed her choice to be a single mom.
In the caption, Heard wrote, in part,
"I decided I wanted to have a child.
I wanted to do it on my own terms.
[...] I hope we arrive at a point in which it's normalized to not want a ring in order
to have a crib."
It seems Heard is happier than ever these days, thanks to her "mini me."
Not only did she gush that, "The six best months of my life [were] the first six months
of hers," but on Oonagh's first birthday, Heard shared, in part,
"I still can't believe you're here.
The greatest year."
Heard seemingly named her daughter after her beloved late mother, Paige Heard, whom she
lost in May 2020.
Heard had described her mom as "a beautiful, gentle soul" and "the most beautiful woman
I had ever known."
As for Oonagh, according to The Bump, the Scottish name means "lamb."
Despite her usually high-profile love life, Amber Heard had a brief relationship with
someone behind-the-scenes of Hollywood during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Daily Mail, the "Aquaman" star was first linked to cinematographer Bianca
Butti in January 2020, after they were spotted kissing in Palm Springs and then strolling
arm-in-arm in San Diego.
Days later, they apparently even attended the Women's March together.
A source told Us Weekly they had started out as friends before it turned romantic, dishing,
"Amber and Bianca are dating and hooking up.
Amber is not trying to be low-key about it."
Two months later, Heard suggested that she was quarantining with Butti.
She posted a video seemingly taken by Butti in her yard, and mentioned social distancing
in the caption.
People magazine reported that the former couple was even often spotted side-by-side at grocery
and flower stores, making it clear they were a full on quarantine couple.
The exes were also together for major life moments, since during their romance, Heard
became a mother.
Butti was also battling breast cancer again at the time.
Despite their shared experiences, by December 2021, the couple had split.
Like a lot of celebrities, the Mirror reported it was due to their busy schedules with filming
keeping them apart.
If you ask one of Amber Heard's former assistants, the "Justice League" actor may not treat others
well.
In fact, Kate James, a woman who worked as Heard's personal assistant from 2012 to 2015,
testified at Johnny Depp's 2022 defamation trial that Heard was actually quite abusive.
James gave the court an example by recollecting a time when she didn't do what Heard had asked.
"Screaming, yelling, abuse."
"It was abusive, in your opinion?"
"Blind rage."
James also claimed Heard would call her in the middle of the night to incoherently yell
and would often send her offensive text messages.
James also revealed that Heard paid her abysmally, at half her usual rate.
James said,
"She put her face four inches from my face, telling me how dare I ask the salary I was
asking for.
She felt that gave her the right to spit in my face."
Yet it wasn't just her former employee whom Heard was accused of abusing.
James also claimed,
"Her poor sister was treated like a dog that you kicked, basically."
That wasn't the first time Heard was accused of mistreating her sister, Whitney Henriquez,
either.
Per Variety, in 2020, Depp's lawyers exposed footage of Henriquez suggesting to friends
that Heard had beat her up.
Henriquez later denied the claims, but regardless, all the allegations from James will probably
be damaging to Heard's reputation.
Although she's a movie star, Amber Heard apparently has no interest in being famous.
The actor told Flare magazine,
"I want to be an artist.
I don't want to be a celebrity."
Heard acknowledged that, while there's interest in her personal life, she doesn't face nearly
as much scrutiny as other celebrities.
She told Flare,
"Can you ever imagine yourself in a situation like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie ... where
the world feels like they have a stake in your private life?
I would never want it."
It appears Heard would rather use her platform to help others.
She explained to Mashable,
"For me ... it's not good enough just to be an actor.
It's not good enough to just change my life.
... I really want to see the world a little bit better."
"If you believe in human rights, you are a human rights activist."
And Heard appears to be doing just that.
She's working with the United Nations Human Rights Office and Amnesty International, traveled
to the Mexican border to give aid — as well as to Jordan to visit Syrian refugees — and
spends her time volunteering at children's hospitals and with organizations like Planned
Parenthood.
Heard told Shape,
"It's so important to me to help others.
I focus on human rights.
[…] There's a lot to do, and a lot that can be done.
I want to use my platform to speak up on behalf of those people who don't have the ability
to do so for themselves."
From the looks of her Instagram, it seems that working out is a major part of Amber
Heard's life, especially when she's preparing for a movie role.
When it came to getting ready for her action scenes in 2018's "Aquaman" in particular,
Heard told Shape,
"I did six months of rigorous training.
It was a lot of weight and strength training, as well as special martial arts training.
[…] I was working out for five hours a day."
It appears her training for the upcoming sequel hasn't been much easier, and Heard often shares
her workouts with her fans on social media.
Whether it's through cardio, yoga, or the different moves she does to get those tight
abs, Heard shows that she definitely goes hard.
Additionally, Heard is refreshingly honest with how brutal training and dieting for a
film can be.
She's not only posted about being exhausted post-sweat session, but she's also joked about
foods she's had to eliminate.
In one video, she quipped,
"I've gotten to the point in my life where I'm like, 'I can't even have a banana!?
Banana!?
It's a fruit!"
However, when she's not preparing for a film, Heard has a more casual approach to fitness.
She told Shape,
"I incorporate my workout into my life so that I enjoy it and it doesn't feel like an
obligation."
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