On 23rd May, 2016, merely 15 months after their marriage, Amber Heard files for divorce from her then-husband Johnny Depp. On 27th May, she files for a temporary restraining order against the same. Two years later, an op-ed would be published in the reputed newspaper The Washington Post in which Ms Heard describes herself as a victim of domestic abuse. She avoids naming anyone in the article.
Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp
A libel trial in London found Depp guilty, following a Rupert Murdoch owned Sun article in 2020. He had sued the newspaper for calling him “a wife beater”. Soon after, two major franchises — Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts — dropped Mr Depp from the lead role. Claiming the allegations to have made an irreparable damage to his career, he sued Heard for defamation.
Over the course of the trial, multiple allegations have come to light as both party took the stand multiple times to testify. Now, as the trial draws to a close in Fairfax county, Virginia, and the people wait for a verdict, let’s look at one of the latest statements made by Amber Heard regarding fellow actor, James Franco.
The Night Before the Divorce
On 21st May, 2016, the police had been called to the home of Heard and Depp over a reported violent incident. Heard later in the trial claimed that Depp had thrown a cell phone at her. The following day, she brings over Franco to her penthouse.
In a CCTV footage on 22nd May, Heard was recorded going down an elevator and exiting it barefoot. A minute later, she re-enters the elevator with James Franco, her neighbour and “friend”, and they go up to Heard’s LA penthouse. At this point, it is made clear during the trial that she had changed the locks on her apartment. Camille Vasquez, Johnny Depp’s lawyer iterates during the heated cross-examination, “You knew that Mr Depp was out of town on May 22, 2016, didn’t you?” Heard replied she had no idea regarding Depp’s schedule at the time.
Suggested reading: Video shows Franco’s visit to Heard’s apartment the night of May 22nd, 2016
Amber Heard Clears James Franco Rumours
Amber Heard claimed that during the course of their marriage, “he [Depp] hated, hated James Franco” and alleged that she had an affair with the actor. To this, Depp claimed that he “occasionally” felt insecure whenever she went out with friends. She had previously worked with Franco on two films, Pineapple Express (2008) and The Adderall Diaries (2015).
Heard testified, “He [Franco] was my friend. And he lived next door, quite literally next door. And I, frankly, had exhausted my support network with my usual friends and was happy to welcome as much friendship at that time as I could possibly get.”
Suggested reading: Amber Heard calls James Franco her friend, addresses the issue in court
