Heard filed for divorce from Depp on May 23, 2016, and four days later received a temporary
restraining order against the Oscar nominee. She said Depp had physically abused her during
their relationship, and that it happened most often while he was high on drugs or alcohol.
She said that an incident occurred on May 21, just before she filed for divorce,
in which Depp hurled his phone at her, leaving her with a damaged face. However, a police official
told People that no crime had been committed after an inquiry after the domestic incident radio call.
Heard was "attempting to gain a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse,"
according to Depp, who refuted the allegations through his agents.
Heard testified under oath in a deposition, but when she withdrew her request for a
domestic violence restraining order, a settlement was struck. She also revoked
her $50,000-per-month spousal support request. Depp and Heard also issued a joint statement,
which reads in part: "Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile,
but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain."
It continued: "There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm."
According to People, Heard received $7 million from the divorce and donated it to charity.
The divorce between Depp and Heard was finalized a year after Heard filed for divorce.
Heard maintained the dogs that were at the center of the 2015 issue in Australia when the pair
neglected to declare the animals. Meanwhile, Depp kept exclusive ownership of all of his assets,
including his private island in the Bahamas and his antique vehicle and motorcycle collection.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the settlement included a non-disparagement clause
prohibiting either side from speaking negatively about the high-profile relationship and break-up.
After a judge concluded that what The Sun published about Depp was "basically factual,"
Depp lost his libel action. "The vast majority of Mr. Depp's alleged assaults
on Ms. Heard have been proven to the civil standard," the court decided.
The backlash was quick, and Depp confirmed days later that he had been asked to leave his position
in the Fantastic Beasts films by Warner Bros. In the most recent sequel, Fantastic Beasts:
The Secrets of Dumbledore, Mads Mikkelsen takes on the role of Grindelwald. Depp supporters
asked that Warner Bros. remove Heard from the next Aquaman sequel, but the studio declined.
Depp lost his widely publicized U.K. libel action against British newspaper The Sun for
labeling him a "wife-beater" in November 2020. The outlet's accusations were found to be "basically
truthful" by the court, and Heard testified to back up the claims. His appeal to reverse
the decision was rejected in March 2021. But what happened to those seven million dollars?
The ACLU's general counsel testified in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial in Virginia
on Thursday that the foundation suspected billionaire Elon Musk of being behind a $500,000
payment to assist the actress in fulfilling a $3.5 million gift commitment to the group.
Heard had previously stated that she will share her $7 million
divorce settlement with Depp between the ACLU and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
However, in Depp's $50 million defamation suit against Heard, his lawyers are attempting
to establish that Heard has not kept his promise to the ACLU. On Thursday, excerpts
from the organization's chief attorney, Terence Dougherty's, video deposition were aired in court,
and he stated that the organization had collected $1.3 million that has been credited to Heard.
According to Dougherty, the Musk donation was made through a Vanguard
fund set up to make philanthropic contributions. Heard received $350,000
from a Vanguard fund in August 2016, $500,000 in 2017, and $350,000 from a Vanguard fund in 2018.
Heard was used for the later payment. Depp also contributed $100,000, which was credited to Heard.
Following her divorce from Depp, Heard began dating Musk.
Heard's donations ceased after 2018, according to Dougherty. The ACLU contacted her at one point,
he claimed, “and we learned that she was having financial difficulties.”However,
in a 2016 email to the group, Musk stated that Heard's contribution will be paid in increments
over a ten-year period. Dougherty claims she never signed an official pledge form.
Heard was a women's rights artist ambassador for the ACLU. She revealed her new employment as the
Washington Post published her op-ed, which is the subject of Depp's $50 million defamation suit.
Heard noted in a December 2018 post that“two years ago, 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's lawyer says that, despite the fact that the op-ed did not identify him by name, there was
enough of a connection to harm his reputation, given her allegations of abuse against him.
Dougherty mentioned the ACLU's role in crafting the op-ed in his deposition. According to an
email, as the op-ed was being written, Heard wanted to make a mention to her seeking a
restraining order against Depp in 2016, but her lawyers refused. There was no reference given.
Carino, who previously represented Depp and Heard, claims that the actress told him that
seeing Musk was “just filling space”. After Depp's lawyers reviewed their text exchanges,
the talent agent said he inquired why Heard was upset by her breakup with the Tesla CEO if she
wasn't "in love with him" during the pre-recorded deposition that was played on Wednesday, April 27.
“I hate that yet again a man lets me fall on the spikes by myself,” the Aquaman actress texted
Carino. “Meaning, they are mad at me for leaving them and putting things like this out there.”
"You could avoid all this if you stopped dating über-famous people.
You can be with a big man who isn’t famous." the CAA agent responded. Additionally,
there were communications dated 2017 in which Heard requested that letters be given to Depp.
As for Musk, he told the Rolling Stone in November 2017, “I was really in love,
and it hurt bad. Well, she broke up with me more than I broke up with her,” he explained that he
was in “severe emotional pain” since the breakup. “I’m looking for a long-term relationship. I’m not
looking for a one-night stand. I’m looking for a serious companion or soulmate, that kind of thing.
I will never be happy without having someone.” Heard and Musk briefly resumed their romance
after five months apart before calling it quits for good.
“Amber wants her independence and prefers being friends rather than romantically linked,” a source
reported to Us Weekly in February 2018. “Elon decided it was time to end things, and Amber
agreed. They both care for one another, but the timing just isn’t right.” the source continued
Heard reflected on her short relationship with Musk in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter
in December 2018, “Elon and I had a beautiful relationship, and we have a beautiful friendship
now, one that was based on our core values. Intellectual curiosity, ideas, and conversation,
a shared love for science. We just bonded on a lot of things that speak to who I am on the
inside. I have so much respect for him.” Ms. Heard's attorneys have produced a long
list of possible witnesses, including Elon Musk and James Franco. (In the British case,
Ms. Heard exchanged texts with Mr. Musk about her marriage that were cited as evidence, and
she testified that Mr. Franco observed bruises on her face after an altercation that is in dispute.)
Mr. Waldman, Anthony Romero, the executive director of the A.C.L.U., and friends of
Ms. Heard who were present throughout critical moments in the case are all potential witnesses.
Johnny Depp alleges his ex-wife had an affair with James Franco while they were still together,
in addition to denying Amber Heard's allegations that he physically mistreated her. When questioned
if he ever suspected her of having an affair during the defamation trial, Depp claimed
the thought did "sometimes" make him feel nervous,
according to Entertainment Weekly. "I become irrational when you're doing movies. I become
jealous and f*****g weird and we fight a lot more As her legal team played an audiotape of Depp
telling her how envious he gets when she's working on projects with other actors,
Heard's lawyers argue it was nothing more than Depp expressing fits of jealousy.
Heard's attorney Eric George clarified what was going on between her and Franco.
"Amber Heard and James Franco once lived in the same apartment complex and were simply taking
an elevator at the same time. Period," he said. "Johnny Depp and his team have been trying — and
failing — to place a salacious story based on this irrelevant footage for weeks. It's pathetic."
Franco has not been questioned, so assuming the nature of their connection solely based
on Heard and Depp's allegations may be unfair. Only time will tell if the truth is revealed.