Months after she came forward with detailed accounts of alleged abuse suffered at the hands of her ex-husband, Amber Heard has been hit with a $50 million lawsuit from Johnny Depp, who is suing his former partner for defamation.
The suit specifically addresses the Washington Post op-ed that Heard penned in December in which she details domestic violence without specifically naming Depp. In the suit, Depp and his legal team assert that Heard “is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator.” It goes on to deny any instance of abuse from Depp and accuse Heard of crafting “elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity."
Alison Buck/Getty Images
“The op-ed depended on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her,” Depp’s lawyers state per Variety.
“This frivolous action is just the latest of Johnny Depp’s repeated efforts to silence Amber Heard,” says Heard’s attorney. “Mr. Depp’s actions prove he is unable to accept the truth of his ongoing abusive behavior. But while he appears hell-bent on achieving self destruction, we will prevail in defeating this groundless lawsuit and ending the continued vile harassment of my client by Mr. Depp and his legal team.”
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard first wd in 2015 with Heard filing for divorce in 2016 after claiming that her husband was violent towards her. In the divorce settlement, she received $7 million, all of which she donated to charity.