Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom Star Dolph Lundgren Praises Co-star Amber Heard Amid Johnny Depp Trial

By Nicole Drum

Amber Heard's Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom co-star Dolph Lundgren has only praise for the Mera actress amid the defamation trial with Johnny Depp. In a conversation shared by The Independent (via The Direct), Lundgren described Heard as "terrific" and "very kind" in his experiences with her on the set of the film last fall.

"She was great," Lundgren, who plays Nereus in the film, said. "I worked with her on the first Aquaman, now the second one. We shot last fall in London."

He continued, "She's terrific. I had a great experience with her. She's very kind, nice to the crew, nice to everybody, just down to earth. She had her newborn baby with her on set with the nanny which was kind of cute."

Lundgren's comments are rare public support for Heard who has been locked in legal battles with her ex-husband Depp for several years following their divorce in 2016. In November 2020, Depp lost a highly publicized U.K. libel suit against British tabloid The Sun with the court siding with the tabloid, finding that its claims that Depp was a "wife-beater" were "substantially true". Depp later filed a defamation case in a court in Virginia with that case stemming from a 2018 op-ed that Heard wrote for The Washington Post where she wrote about being a victim of domestic and sexual violence. Heard did not name Depp in the op-ed. Depp sued Heard for $50 million in the suit with Heard countersuing for $100 million. On Wednesday, the jury delivered their verdict finding that both Depp and Heard were liable for defamation. Heard was awarded $2 million in damages while the jury, agreeing with his case that the op-ed was defamatory, awarded Depp total of $15 million in damages. Following the verdict, Heard released a statement noting, in part, that she is "heartbroken' with the verdict's findings and while she is sad to have lost the case, she's sadder for "what this verdict means for other women."

"The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence and sway of my ex-husband," Heard wrote. "I'm even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously."

As for Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, Heard reprises her role as Mera in the upcoming sequel, though during the defamation trial she alleged that her role in the film was heavily reduced from what it once was and that she had "fought hard" to remain in the film.

"I fought really hard to stay in the movie. They didn't want to include me in the film," Heard testified. After being asked if she was able to film scenes as Mera for the movie, she responded, "A very pared down version of that role, yes."

"I was given a script," she added. "Then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character, without giving any spoilers away. Two characters fighting with one another. They basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch."

The film's synopsis can be found below.

"Action Adventure. When an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation," the description reads. In addition to Momoa and Patrick Wilson, the movie will also feature the return of Amber Heard (Mera), and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (David Kane/Black Manta). Randall Park (Dr. Stephen Shin), and Temuera Morrison (Tom Curry). Newcomers to the cast include Jani Zhao (Sentimentos), Indya Moore (Pose), and Vincent Regan (300)."

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters on March 17, 2023. 

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