Judge Sides With Johnny Depp In Legal Battle Against Amber Heard

CREDIT: Matt Dunham/AP

Johnny Depp has finally reached a victory in his long-running legal with Amber Heard.

A New York judge has granted permission for Johnny to obtain the knowledge of whether or not Amber Heard had donated the entirety of her $7 million divorce settlement.

Her pledge was to donate the $7 million to the American Civil Liberties Union and to Children's Hospital, Los Angeles.

The ACLU must now release documents detailing whether or not Heard had followed through.

"Mr. Depp is most gratified by the court's decision," his attorney Benjamin Chew said.

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Back in November 2020, Johnny lost the libel lawsuit against The Sun tabloid. The media organisation labelled Johnny "a wife-beater" in 2018 after Heard had accused him of abuse in 2016. 

The case had Johnny and the powerful tabloid and it's editor pitted against each other, Heard as the star witness. 

Johnny's lawyer Andrew Caldecott argued saying that Heard's donation "was a calculated and manipulative lie that tipped the scales against Mr. Depp from the very beginning," in March 2020. This left Johnny with a refused appeal.

It was also stated that Children's Hospital, Los Angeles had written to Johnny's business advisor in 2019, advising Heard hadn't made any payments.

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The Sun's publisher lawyers had denied these arguments, saying Heard planned to pay the payments over the span of 10 years.

Adam Wolanski, (representation for News Group Newspapers) stated she had made "a number of payments already in pursuance of these pledges."

This latest ruling comes after a three-week trial where both Johnny and Heard took the stand. Both had been damaged by harsh testimonies claiming drinking, drug use, fighting, and room-trashing.

The judge also ruled that "the great majority" of Heard's abuse claims were "mostly true."

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There was then a separate Virginia case in December 2018, thanks to Heard publishing a column in The Washington Post claiming she was a victim of domestic abuse while suggesting Johnny was the alleged abuser.

Three months after, Johnny filed for defamation, claiming Heard was using "hoax" allegations of domestic abuse, where he sought $50 million.

Heard then filed over 300 pages of outlined abuse allegations, claiming Johnny repeatedly hit her before their marriage and during their marriage.

She also filed photos of herself with bruises on her face, scars on her arms, hair pulled from her head, wrecked rooms with broken glass and furniture turned over, screenshots of text messages describing the incidents and divorce deposition excerpts describing the abuse.

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Johnny fought back in May 2019, saying "while mixing prescription amphetamines and non-prescription drugs with alcohol," Heard, "hit, punched and kicked me. She also repeatedly and frequently threw objects into my body and head, including heavy bottles, soda cans, burning candles, television remote controls, and paint thinner cans, which severely injured me."

He showed photos of himself with black and puffy eyes and scratches as evidence. He detailed an alleged attack from Heard, which occurred one month after their marriage in Australia. Johnny had tried to get Heard to sign a pre-nuptial agreement.

Johnny said the result was that his fingertip was severed thanks to a shattered glass bottle thrown by Heard.