Johnny Depp, the celebrated actor, has reportedly channeled his $1 million defamation lawsuit settlement into a series of charitable donations. This action follows the contentious legal wrangle between Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, which captured the attention of audiences worldwide.
According to sources in communication with People, Depp divided the monetary settlement among five charities. These include the Make-A-Film Foundation, The Painted Turtle, Red Feather, Tetiaroa Society, and Amazonia Fund Alliance, with each receiving a generous donation of $200,000.
This move comes a year after a Virginia jury sided with the “Pirates Of The Caribbean” star in a $50 million defamation lawsuit. This lawsuit was connected to an op-ed by Heard published in the Washington Post in 2018, wherein she identified herself as a survivor of domestic abuse. Though she refrained from directly naming Depp in the piece, the actor claimed the allegations caused significant professional damage, costing him millions in lost work.
Following a six-week trial, the jurors at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse unanimously agreed to award Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and an additional $5 million in punitive damages. However, the final ruling, delivered by Chief Circuit Judge Penney Azcarate, reduced the total to $10.35 million, due to a cap on punitive damages in Virginia.
Heard subsequently filed a $100 million countersuit, which resulted in a $2 million damages award. After an additional six months, the ex-couple mutually agreed to dismiss their appeals and reach a settlement. The agreed-upon amount was reported by TMZ to be $1 million, to be covered by Heard’s insurance company.
Depp’s lawyers, Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, pledged to donate the funds to various charities. In a statement released in December, they said, “We are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light.”
This news story is based on an article originally published on thestar.com.my.
