Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have recently settled their highly publicized defamation case as Amber Heard has now paid her ex-husband $1 million, as ordered by the Virginia court.
Following a highly publicized defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the former couple has reached a settlement. In accordance with the Virginia court’s order, Amber Heard has paid her ex-husband $1 million. Initially, in June of the previous year, a Virginia jury had awarded Mr. Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, while Ms. Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. However, the former couple reached a settlement in December, where Ms. Heard agreed to pay $1 million in damages to the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean star. In a generous move, Mr. Depp has decided to donate the entire settlement amount to five charities, as reported by People Magazine.
The chosen charities are the Make-A-Film Foundation, The Painted Turtle, Red Feather, Tetiaroa Society, and Amazonia Fund Alliance. Each charity will receive a donation of $200,000 from the 60-year-old actor.
After making the settlement, Ms. Heard expressed that it was a challenging decision and clarified that it was not an act of concession. Taking to Instagram, she shared, “It’s important for me to say that I never chose this. I defended my truth, and in doing so, my life as I knew it was destroyed. The vilification I have faced on social media is an amplified version of the ways women are re-victimized when they come forward.” She continued, “Now I finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago and on terms I can agree to. I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”
Referring to the settlement amount, Ms. Heard expressed that it is not unusual to encounter the possibility of “bankruptcy” when speaking the truth. She stated, ” I cannot afford to risk an impossible bill – one that is not just financial, but also psychological, physical and emotional. Women shouldn’t have to face abuse or bankruptcy for speaking her truth, but unfortunately it is not uncommon.”
In contrast, Ms. Heard has relocated to Spain subsequent to the trial and shared her affection for the country, expressing her desire to remain in Madrid. Meanwhile, Mr. Depp was recently spotted at the Cannes Film Festival promoting his new film, ‘Jeanne Du Barry’.