Update: A spokesperson for Johnny Depp provided CBR with the following statement: "These fictitious claims were never made at the onset of Amber’s allegations in 2016, and only advantageously surfaced years later once she was sued for defamation after noting in her op-ed that she was a victim of ‘sexual violence.’ Words are key in a defamation case and conveniently, this allegation only came after that. This follows a pattern of her elaborate, erroneous claims which have continued to change and evolve over time for the purpose of Hollywood shock value of which Amber has mastered and used to exploit a serious social movement."
During their highly publicized defamation trial, Amber Heard accused ex-husband Johnny Depp of sexual assault.
According to Rolling Stone, the accusation was made by Heard's attorneys, who called the incident "a three-day blackout in which he abused and sexually assaulted Amber." Depp's lawyers, however, say this is false. "Ms. Heard had never made that accusation against Mr. Depp — it was never part of her allegations of abuse in 2016. So, what changed? When she realized the seriousness of what she alleged [about being the victim of domestic abuse], she panicked and alleged sexual assault," Camille Vasquez explained. "In Mr. Depp’s fifty-eight years, not a single woman has ever accused him of violence, and nobody in Hollywood or the world had any reason to believe he was an abuser – until Ms. Heard publicly accused him."
The fallout from Depp and Heard's divorce has been in the public spotlight for years. On Nov. 2, 2020, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun over a headline that referred to him as a "wife beater." Days later, Warner Bros. asked him to resign from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The situation between Heard and Depp has spawned multiple petitions, including one to bring Depp back as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and another to remove Heard from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The former has received over 650,000 signatures while the latter is just shy of 2 million.
If you are a U.S.-based victim of sexual assault or misconduct in need of help, contact RAINN at 800-656-4673 to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. If you are based outside the U.S., click here for a list of international sexual assault resources.
Source: Rolling Stone
