Johnny Depp

On May 23, 2016, Amber Heard accused Depp of domestic violence and filed for divorce, additionally applying for a domestic abuse restraining order that prevented Depp from contacting her. In August 2016, Heard received a $7 million divorce settlement from Depp out of court. Their divorce was finalized in May 2017. 

Depp and Heard vacationed in Australia together March 3-5, 2016. Heard alleged that during the trip Depp was physically and emotionally abusive as a result of drug and alcohol use. In a statement released in May 2015, Heard accused Depp of “extreme acts” of “psychological, physical, emotional and other forms of violence” during the trip. Said Heard: “It is the worst thing I have ever been through. I was left with an injured lip and nose, and cuts on my arms.” 

In April of 2018, editor Dan Wootton published an article in The Sun questioning J.K. Rowling’s choice of casting Depp in the upcoming “Fantastic Beasts” film, referring to Depp as a “wife beater.” Within twenty-four hours, the article was edited to remove the “wife beater” reference, though the article still maintained Wootton’s accusation that “overwhelming evidence was filed to show Johnny Depp engaged in domestic violence against his wife Amber Heard.” 

In November of 2018, #JohnnyDeppIsTheAbuser and #Boycottthefantasticbeast began trending on Twitter, most notably with fans in Korea speaking out against Johnny Depp and showing support for Amber Heard.

On December 18, 2018, Amber Heard wrote a Washington Post op-ed in which she alleged that she had been the victim of domestic abuse, though she did not specifically name Depp as the perpetrator. She began the article: “I was exposed to abuse at a very young age … Like many women, I had been harassed and sexually assaulted by the time I was of college age. But I kept quiet—I did not expect filing complaints to bring justice. And I didn’t see myself as a victim.” 

On March 1, 2019, Depp sued Heard for $50 million for defamation, citing the Washington Post op-ed that she wrote in December 2018, even though he wasn’t named. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the trial has been delayed until April 2022.

In June of 2020, Depp sued The Sun for libel over the “wife beater” reference, leading to a three-week libel trial between Depp and News Group Newspapers Ltd. and editor Dan Wootton.

On November 5, 2020, High Court Justice Andrew Nicol ruled that the allegations in The Sun’s article were “substantially true.” Nicol found that 12 out of 14 “alleged assaults of Ms. Heard by Mr. Depp have been proved to the civil standard” and ruled that, “The claimant has not succeeded in his action for libel.”

During the trial, Heard provided photos of a bruise on her upper cheek, allegedly the result of Depp throwing his cell phone at her and striking her face. Heard described violent episodes where Deep “choked, punched, slapped, head-butted, throttled and kicked her,” including an assault after her 30th birthday, an additional incident that left her with black eyes, and three days of “sustained and multiple assaults” during their time in Australia.

Nicol also called Depp’s allegations that Heard (or one of her friends) defecated in Depp’s bed “unlikely.”

Heard stated during the trial that she had donated her entire $7 million divorce settlement to charity. 

On November 6, 2020, Depp confirmed on Instagram that he was asked to resign from his upcoming role as Grimwauld in “Fantastic Beasts 3.” He stated: “The surreal judgment of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal. My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.”

In March of 2021, Depp attempted to appeal the original libel case between Depp and News Group Newspapers Ltd. and editor Dan Wootton. 

However, justices James Dingemans and Nicholas Underhill refused the appeal, stating that the previous court ruling by High Court Justice Andrew Nicol was “full and fair,” that the conclusions “have not been shown even arguably to be vitiated by any error of approach or mistake of law,” and that “the appeal has no real prospect of success and that there is no other compelling reason for it to be heard.”

On July 30,, 2021, as part of Depp’s ongoing defamation case against Heard, a New York judge ruled that the American Civil Liberties Union must confirm whether Heard had actually donated her $7 million divorce settlement to charity, as Depp’s lawyer had cited this claim in the midst of the original trial as a “calculated and manipulative lie" that "tipped the scales against Mr. Depp from the very beginning."

Heard’s attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, has stated that Heard has already paid “more than a million” each to both the ACLU and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and that “[Heard] has always said she fully intends to continue to give the full $7 million, but she can't do it yet. She will do it when she can. But she has given a significant amount to both."

In August of 2021, Spain’s San Sebastian International Film Festival announced they would be awarding Depp the Donostia Award, their “highest honorary award,” and described Depp as "one of contemporary cinema's most talented and versatile actors."

In response, domestic abuse charities including The Women's Aid Federation and Solace Women's Aid said that the award was “insulting” and disrespectful to survivors of abuse. 

Sophie Francis-Cansfield of Women's Aid stated: "When a perpetrator is celebrated, allowing them to continue to garner success and public approval suggests that abuse is acceptable and does not matter.” 

Spain’s Association of Female Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media also spoke out against the decision, with president Cristina Andreu stating: “This speaks very badly of the festival and its leadership, and transmits a terrible message to the public: ‘It doesn’t matter if you are an abuser as long as you are a good actor.’”

In response to the backlash, José Luis Rebordinos, director of the San Sebastian Film Festival, issued a statement defending the festival’s decision to honor Depp with the award:

“In these present times, when lynching on social media is rife, we will always defend two basic principles which form part of our culture and of our body of laws: that of the presumption of innocence and that of the right to reintegration … According to the proven data which we have to hand, Johnny Depp has not been arrested, charged nor convicted of any form of assault or violence against any woman.”

Reception to the award announcement was mixed on social media, with some Twitter users condemning the choice while many expressed support for Depp.