An attorney for Amber Heard has accused her ex-husband Johnny Depp of attempting to “silence” the actress by suing her for making domestic abuse allegations against him.
Depp hit headlines on Friday (01Mar19) after taking issue with an opinion piece the Aquaman star had written for The Washington Post in December (18), in which she reflected on life as a survivor of domestic violence.
She didn’t mention Depp by name, but the article was enough to have Depp file a defamation suit against his ex, claiming statements she made about his allegedly volatile behaviour following their separation in 2016 were part of an “elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity”.
“Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is a perpetrator,” his lawyers added in the suit, in which Depp is demanding damages in excess of $50 million (£38 million) from his The Rum Diary co-star.
Now Amber’s legal representative has fired back at the court action, expressing confidence in proving the veteran movie star’s suit is baseless.
“This frivolous action is just the latest of Johnny Depp’s repeated efforts to silence Amber Heard,” her attorney, Eric M. George, tells Deadline.com. “She will not be silenced.”
He continues, “Mr. Depp’s actions prove he is unable to accept the truth of his ongoing abusive behaviour. But while he appears hell-bent on achieving self-destruction, we will prevail in defeating this groundless lawsuit and ending the continued vile harassment of my client by Mr. Depp and his legal team.”
The stars had been married for just 15 months when Heard filed for divorce in May, 2016. The former couple officially ended its marriage the following January (17).
