Johnny Depp has recently filed a lawsuit against former wife Amber Heard for Defamation of character. He is asking for $50 Million and claiming that the domestic abuse allegations were a hoax.
Amber Heard released video that she taped on her cell phone of him being upset over something that happened, though in the tape it is never discussed what that was. It was just a taping of his reaction to something. In the documents for the court filing Depp is accusing Heard of fabricating a situation where he would react like this so she could release a video to get positive press for herself and advance her career.
While it is true that she may have been baiting him there is just no way to know. The fact that his reputation was damaged irreparably is true however and he has been losing roles and getting push back from many former fans.
While Disney still appears to be on good terms with him since he has a lifetime pass to the park and will sometimes make appearances as Captain Jack Sparrow on the Pirates of the Carribean ride they did however go in a different direction with the next film. There is also the fact that he was not in Kingdom Hearts 3 voicing the iconic character, which could have been due to a scheduling conflict but we can’t know for sure unless Depp says something.
There is also the controversy over his inclusion in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise. While JK Rowling still continues to use him his appearance in the films does effect the response from some fans of the Harry Potter series.
The timing of this situation is also interesting. A profile that Rolling Stone magazine put out last year pointed out that Depp has some considerable debts. The actor has been in a long feud with some former managers that he alleges ripped him off for millions of dollars. The mismanagement of funds put him in an even deeper hole with the IRS who also demanded a huge amount of money in late fees.
This is all on top of the years of extravagant spending done by the actor in real estate and just being Johnny Depp. This all combines to paint a picture that Depp may be doing the lawsuit now as a way to pay back some of his debt. Amber Heard was just in Aquaman which was one of the biggest movies of 2018. She is probably doing much better for herself than Depp and is certainly the bigger box office draw at the moment. That would make her a prime avenue for Depp to get some cash and to try to recuperate his public image.
What do you think of all this? Have you stayed a fan of Depp through this? Did the video that was released in 2016 change your view of him? Tell us in the comments!
