One Year to the Most Dramatic Trial in Hollywood History: What are Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Up To?

The life of the two Hollywood actors after the trial ended

Johnny Depp Vs. Amber Heard was a topic of buzzing discussion last year. The people were divided into two parties discussing who should win the case.

While some took the feminist side and chose to side with Amber, others could not believe the serious allegations against their favorite Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. To their wonderment, the captain stole the show yet again.

Matched to be Married

Depp and Heard met on the set of their movie “The Rum Diary” in 2009. From there, fans started speculating that something was going on between the two.

They shared an intricate on-screen chemistry and indeed looked great as a couple. Many already loved Depp, and Heard became known for her charming face.

Their dating rumors sparked in 2012 when Depp ended a long-term relationship.

In 2014, Heard was seen in public wearing an engagement ring, and netizens started to believe that the couple was soon to be married. They were not wrong, as the following year, in a very private ceremony, the two got married and became the talk of the town.

Indeed they looked like a match made in heaven, and people seemed to be happy about it; with the paparazzi getting news to talk about, things soon took a turn.

In 2016, Heard filed for a divorce and a temporary restraining order against Depp. The divorce was finalized in 2017, and the couple split.

Washington Post’s Op-Ed, Which Started it All

Things were pretty standard till an Op-ed written by Heard was published in The Washington Post in 2018, stating that the actress was subject to abuse her whole life from childhood till growing up.

Amber Heard said that she wanted to speak up against abusers as women bear the most and are not given enough heed. Though Heard did not name anyone, Depp filed a defamation case against his ex-wife in 2019, and the situation escalated quickly.

The Bizarre Truth of the Relationship

Depp claimed that the op-ed portrayed him as an abuser and that it was not the truth. It was costing him his career and significant opportunities.

In 2020, Depp’s former attorney, Adam Waldman, took to the Daily Mail and called Heard’s claim a “hoax.” Due to the pandemic going on, the trial could not proceed.

However, Depp charged his ex-wife with $50 million for false allegations. To which, Heard counter-sued Depp for $100 million.

Heard’s lawyers showed numerous proofs of the actress being subject to abuse. She had pictures with bruises on her face and body. Other than that, the actress also displayed clips of the actor being short-tempered and showing sudden outbursts on the smallest of things.

Depp, on the other hand, said he never abused Heard and that his outbursts originated from constant problems caused by the actress herself. He claimed that the outbreaks were one side of the story while Heard was tempering with the image of her character all along. Bottom line — their marriage was extremely toxic.

The Final Verdict made by the Jury

The trial began in 2022, and everyone braced themselves to know the ultimate decision the jury would make. The six weeks of practice were covered by media, and everything was available on the Internet.

The hours of coverage made gave the case a dramatic outreach by the public. Fans of both actors signed petitions, started online movements, and made several fan pages to cover the trial’s details.

In the end, Depp won the case. The seven-person jury declared that the charges against Depp did not have enough evidence to be proven.

What Changed in a Year?

Amber Heard reportedly lives in a luxurious villa in Malaga, Spain, along with her daughter Oonagh. A close source to the actor said she wanted to focus on being a mother now and needed to take a break after the exhausting trial.

Though as soon as the trial ended, Heard claimed that she would file another case for the jury to retake a decision, something of such nature has yet to be done.

The source further said,

“Amber couldn’t wait to leave the U.S. with her daughter. She has been living in Spain, where she gets more privacy. The trial was beyond stressful for her, and she just wanted to start fresh out of the country. She is excited about working and filming again. She was exhausted and disappointed about the trial. She felt she was mistreated. This is all behind her now, though. She has new energy and is focused on things that she loves.”

As for Depp, the actor is focusing on his career. His French-language film, “Jeanne Du Barry,” was released on 16th May this year, and it was the most talked about project.

He is expected to take on more future projects as well.

As for Heard, she has not been on any project since the trial. Her anticipated movie, Aquaman 2, is supposed to be released by December this year, and the viewers are still determining if they will get to see Heard as Mera again or not.

Aquaman Controversy: Was Amber Cut Out of Aquaman?

Aquaman is a fictional movie starring Jason Momoa and Amber Heard. The second part, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is expected to be released this year, showed a glimpse of Amber in the trailer.

During the trial, millions of Depp fans signed a petition, with over 4 million signs, to cut the role of Amber out of the movie.

Even during the trial, she said that her role was compromised because of the trial and its verdict, but DC Films boss, Walter Hamada, claimed that the position was definitely cut down but not because of the trial, but because the actress and Momoa did not have any on-screen chemistry.

On the other hand, Heard had other things to say and claimed that she fought hard to keep her role. As the anonymous source claimed, Heard did not want to be in the limelight at the moment and was just “focused on raising her daughter.”

Divorce is never easy for any couple. Getting past all the hate as both the actors did, people should wish the best for both of them in their future lives.

The six hours of trial, a binge-watch for the people, must be extremely exhausting and traumatic for the actors and their families.

Not much is known about Heard’s life now, as she prefers to keep a low profile. At the same time, Depp is working day and night to make more strong comebacks in the movies.

Will Amber make a comeback in Aquaman 2 as Mera? If yes, what would be the public reaction? We will have to wait and watch.