Johnny Depp has filed a lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard over abuse allegations. Back in December, Heard wrote an article for The Washington Post claiming to be a domestic violence victim during their short marriage, but Depp stated that the charges against him are erroneous and is seeking retribution.
Depp and Heard met on the set of the film The Rum Diary, and the couple eventually married on Depp’s private island in the Bahamas in 2015. Though the two seemed to be the perfect Hollywood, things took a turn in 2016 when Heard filed for divorce, as well as a restraining order against Depp, claiming that the bruises on her face were a result of physical abuse. Now, roughly three years after their divorce, Depp has responded to negative criticism aimed at him by filing a lawsuit against Heard.
Related: 18 Crazy Secrets No One Knew About Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's marriage
According to People, Depp is filing a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard, claiming that her allegations are fabricated and that her Washington Post article is merely a ploy to defame Depp and boost her own career. Back in 2016, Depp and Heard settled their divorce with $7 million dollars granted to Heard - which she donated to charity. Depp’s lawyers are making it clear they do not believe Heard’s innocence as they’ve added claims that Heard was in a relationship with Tesla founder, Elon Musk, while still married to Depp.
Since their divorce in 2016, Depp and Heard have both taken fairly similar paths in their careers, balancing big-budget blockbusters with smaller independent films. Depp recently starred in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, though Disney announced that he would not return to his longest-running role as Captain Jack Sparrow in future installments of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Depp’s lawyers have said this is a result of Heard’s article. Meanwhile, Heard recently starred as Mera in both Justice League and Aquaman - now the highest-grossing DC movie of all time - and is expected to return for Aquaman 2 2022.
Since the #Metoo movement, several allegations have come to light regarding various instances of sexual harassment, as well as physical and emotional abuse. It's allowed victims the opportunity to share their stories and seek justice, but the problem has hardly been fixed. As for Depp and Heard, it's impossible to determine how events will play out, but this latest lawsuit has unfortunately drawn out their dispute indefinitely.
More: New Survey Says 94% of Women in Hollywood Have Experienced Sexual Misconduct
Source: People
