00:00Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million, citing defamation
00:04following the actress' December op-ed, which was published in The Washington Post.
00:08Depp wasn't specifically mentioned by name in Heard's article, which was titled
00:12But many believed her words to be about the Fantastic Beasts actor.
00:19The actress wrote that she became a public figure representing domestic abuse and felt
00:23the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out, while Depp's attorney
00:27claims that the piece represents an abuse of the MeToo movement and alleges that Heard
00:31masquerades as victim rather than abuser. The complaint states that even though Depp was not
00:35named in the Post article, it was clear Heard was talking about him. The lawsuit called her
00:39continued allegations of domestic abuse categorically and demonstrably false and said
00:43they were part of an elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity for Ms. Heard
00:46and advance her career. The suit also claims that the accusations against Depp has caused
00:51him financial harm, such as being dropped from his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the
00:54Pirates of the Caribbean films. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Heard's attorney
00:58Eric George described the suit as an ill-conceived attempt to silence his client.
01:02She will not be silenced, he said. Mr. Depp's actions prove he is unable to accept the truth
01:06of his ongoing abusive behavior. But while he appears hell-bent on achieving self-destruction,
01:11we will prevail in defeating this groundless lawsuit and ending the continued vile
01:15harassment of my client by Mr. Depp and his legal team. Heard previously initiated
01:19arbitration against her ex-husband for violating a non-disparagement agreement negotiated
01:23during their divorce. She says he defamed her in several media outlets this fall by giving
01:27the impression that she falsely claimed to have been physically abused. The actress argues
01:31that the statements were made with malice and she's entitled to punitive damages.
01:35Depp's attorney did not respond to THR's inquiry about the lawsuit.
01:39To read more on this story, head to THR.com. For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Lyndsey Rodrigues.
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