Amber Heard says she has settled her defamation fight with ex-husband Johnny Depp. In May, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor took Heard to court for a $50 million defamation lawsuit. The highly publicized trial was a result of Heard's 2018 op-ed piece for The Washington Post. In her essay, Heard details her experience as a victim of sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, describing herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse." Though Heard did not directly refer to Depp by name, he claimed the piece greatly affected his personal life and career, citing the essay for being the reason he lost roles. Depp and Heard's relationship was on full display during their public trial in a Virginia courtroom this year, where the jury sided in Depp's favor, awarding him $10 million, and Heard $1 million.
While both parties appealed the verdict, now Heard reveals she has settled her defamation defamation fight against Depp in a statement posted to Instagram. Heard notes her disappoint with the American legal system, claiming her "unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fodder.” The jury's decision will remain in place, with both Depp and Heard paying their share of what is due. See Heard's statement below:
What's Next For Amber Heard's Career
The latest update from Heard seems to indicate the end of a years-long legal battle between the two. In 2020, a similar trial took place in the U.K., seeing Depp sue British tabloid paper The Sun for a piece in which they called him a "wife beater." Heard also testified, though Depp lost the libel suit. After the verdict was announced in the 2022 trial, Heard filed for a mistrial, which the judge denied. Depp's legal team also put out a statement celebrating the settlement (via THR), saying they "are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light."
While a movie about the trial, Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial, has already dropped on Tubi, both Heard and Depp are slowly making their way back to acting. Heard will return as Mera in DC's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, though much speculation has surrounded her role in the film. Although Heard claimed that her scenes were significantly cut due to negative press,the then-president of DC Films, Walter Hamada, swiftly denied those rumors while testifying during the trial. She also will play a New York psychiatrist in In the Fire. Depp, who's had one of the most prolific careers in Hollywood, will make his return as King Louis XV in Maïwenn’s period piece, Jeanne Du Barry, to be released in 2023.
It's clear that both Heard and Depp want to put the past behind them. Hopefully, the media frenzy that surrounded the case will not overshadow the highly-anticipated next installment of Aquaman. It will be interesting to see if Heard's legal troubles will affect the film's success, but with the dust finally settled between her and Depp, and the movie a year away, there is a chance both Heard and Depp will be able to move from the media circus and resume their careers.
Source: Amber Heard, THR