Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp is filing a defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, claiming that her domestic abuse allegations were nothing more than an elaborate hoax. In court documents obtained by The Blast, Depp claims that Heard aimed to generate positive publicity and to advance her career and he is seeking $50 million from the actress.
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The documents claim that Heard’s allegations were “conclusively refuted by two separate responding police officers, a litany of neutral third-party witnesses, and 87 newly obtained surveillance camera videos.”
Specifically, the lawsuit cites an editorial Heard wrote for The Washington Post in 2018 in which she shared her alleged domestic abuse. Depp’s lawsuit notes, “Ms. Heard purported to write from the perspective of ‘a public figure representing domestic abuse’ and claimed that she ‘felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out’ when she ‘spoke up against sexual violence.’”
While the editorial never mentioned Depp by name, the public disputes in recent years made it obvious for readers to connect the dots and ascertain that she was describing her ex-husband. Depp’s attorney explained that the validity of the article “depends on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her.”
Not only is Depp claiming that Heard’s allegations are false, but he also claims that Heard is the one who abused him. The lawsuit cites one incident in which Heard reportedly threw a glass bottle at him, which he deflected, yet resulted in his hand being severely injured, requiring surgery to reattach a finger to his hand.
The lawsuit claims that photos in which Heard posted, seemingly displaying injuries to her face that she suffered from Depp, were merely a ruse. The documents note that two police officers testified under oath that they witnessed no injuries to the actress’ face on the day the alleged assault occurred.
Depp’s lawsuit against Heard summarizes, “Ms. Heard also knew that her elaborate hoax worked: as a result of her false allegations against Mr. Depp, Ms. Heard became a darling of the #MeToo movement, was the first actress named a Human Rights Champion of the United Nations Human Rights Office, was appointed ambassador on women’s rights at the American Civil Liberties Union, and was hired by L’Oreal Paris as its global spokesperson.”
The actor also cites that the timing of Heard’s editorial resulted in his departure from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, while his casting in Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald has been causing controversy for the franchise since the initial allegations took place.
Stay tuned for details on the lawsuit against the Aquaman actress.
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