Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Marriage: Here's the Real Reason Why the Hollywood Actor Married His Ex-Wife
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are among the most controversial ex-Hollywood couples nowadays because of their courtroom showdown for the actor's defamation case.
Depp and Heard's marriage was not only full of pain and struggles. They also experienced good days while being together. Depp and Heard met in 2011 on the set of "The Rum Diary."
The Hollywood couple started secretly dating after the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor separated from his longtime partner, French singer Vanessa Paradis, in 2012, Us Weekly reported. Heard also split up with partner Tasya van Ree at the same time.
Depp and Heard did not make their official appearance until 2014 when they attended a gala together. They reportedly tied the knot twice in February 2015.
The first ceremony was at Depp's home and again in a more lavish celebration at his private island in the Bahamas.
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Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's Marriage Ended in Divorce
The trouble in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's marriage began shortly after their marriage. The first incident of trouble between them surfaced when the duo brought their two dogs, Pistol and Boo, to Australia without proper documentation later in 2015.
The Hollywood couple released an apology video together in April 2016 as part of their settlement with the nation. One month later, Depp and Heard called it quits. The actress filed for divorce from the actor in May 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.
Heard accused Depp of domestic violence two days after filing and obtained a temporary restraining order against him. The couple stayed together for at least 15 months.
Depp and Heard reached a settlement in August 2016, and their divorce was finalized in January 2017. However, the tumult continued long after their split.
In June 2018, Depp sued "The Sun" and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, after he was labeled as a "wife-beater" in the paper's 2018 headline. The actor alleged that Heard was the "abusive one," arguing that the actress faked photos to make it look like he injured his ex-wife.
But despite his claims, Depp lost the libel case in 2020, and the judge concluded that he "regularly beat" her ex-wife. The actor then filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard in early 2019 over the essay she wrote for The Washington Post.
The actress asked the court to throw out the suit, but in August 2021, a judge in a Fairfax, Virginia court ruled that the case could proceed.
The piece did not mention Depp by name, but the actor claimed he was booted from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise due to the "clear implication" that he was the abuser in his ex-wife's op-ed.
The actor asked for $50 million in damages, while Heard countersued for $100 million for nuisance. The six-week defamation trial resulted in Depp winning most of his claims in the civil lawsuit, and the jury only handed Heard one victory.
On June 1, Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. However, the judge passed a written order on Friday's hearing for Heard to pay Depp $10.35 million.
The judge reduced the punitive damages to $350,000 because of limits set by state law. On the other hand, Depp needs to pay his ex-wife $2 million.
Here's Why Johnny Depp Married Amber Heard
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard both said earlier that there was an undeniable chemistry between them. A longtime friend of Depp told People in 2015 that the actor was smitten with Heard because she was "a free thinker."
The actor's friend said the actress' presence "has changed his life." Another source told People that Depp fell for Heard because she was "so different" from the actor's past relationships. The source said Depp liked Heard because she was a woman who "could survive just fine without him."
"She is not needy. He likes that," the source added. Another insider told the outlet that Depp was "crazy in love with Amber" during the early part of their relationship.
Depp earlier said he realized he was falling for Heard when they reunited during "The Rum Diary" movie press tour.
"She was in my head, so I tracked her down. We tracked each other down. Actually, incidentally, it was amazing. It was at the first day of press on The Rum Diary," the actor noted. He then quipped: "Then we married that very day."
Depp also told E! News in 2015 that they connect on many levels. But he said the first thing that really got him was that Heard was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the blues.
"I would play a song, some old obscure blues song, and she knew what it was," the actor noted. Depp added that Heard was "very, very literate" and a "voracious reader" like him.
"So we connected on that as well, and she's kind of pretty. I'm a lucky man," he noted.
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Written By: Joshua Summers
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