She called the decision “difficult”.
Amber Heard announced on her Instagram account on Monday, December 19, that she had reached an agreement with her ex-husband Johnny Depp as part of their tumultuous legal battle.
The insurance company of the actress will thus pay 1 million dollars (941,000 euros) to the hero of
Pirates of the Caribbean
(2003).
The latter therefore drew a line under the 10 million dollars (9 million euros) initially planned.
The contract also provides that Amber Heard is always authorized to speak publicly about the domestic violence of which she accuses her former husband, and that she is considered not guilty of defamation.
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“I never chose this”
The decision comes to end months of confrontation in court in Fairfax, Virginia.
In early 2019, Johnny Depp had indeed filed a complaint against his ex-wife, after the latter had called herself a “victim of domestic violence” in the columns of the
Washington Post
.
The actress lost the lawsuit last June.
She had been ordered to pay 10 million dollars to the interpreter of Jack Sparrow – the latter having, for his part, been forced to pay him towards 2 million dollars (1.8 million euros).
She has since reached an agreement with her former companion.
An outcome that she seems, however, to have accepted reluctantly.
"It's important for me to say that I never chose this," she wrote in her official statement.
I stood up for my truth, and in doing so, my life as I knew it was destroyed."
Amber Heard has lamented the "slander" she has been subjected to on social media, and the way women are bullied when they make such accusations.
"Now I finally have the opportunity to break free from something I tried to leave six years ago, on terms that suit me," she continued.
I made no confession.
I made no concessions."
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A found freedom
Amber Heard was pleased to no longer be the subject of an “injunction to silence”, indicating however that she had lost “faith in the American judicial system”.
She thus deplored the “humiliation” suffered in the courtroom, and the rejection of “direct evidence corroborating her testimony”.
She, on the other hand, praised the efficiency of British justice, according to her "robust, impartial and fair".
Johnny Depp had indeed lost a lawsuit there against the
Sun
, which had called him a “violent husband” in 2018.
She further indicated that she renounced to appeal the 2022 trial, not having the strength to live through a third legal confrontation, and wishing to move forward.
“Women shouldn't have to face abuse or bankruptcy for speaking their truth – sadly, it's not uncommon for that to happen (…), she said.
By entering into this agreement, I am also choosing the freedom to devote myself to the work that helped me heal after my divorce;
work done in areas where I feel seen, heard and believed, and where I know I can make a difference.”
And the actress concludes: “I would like to thank my excellent teams for their hard work.
I would like to thank all those who have supported me and to focus on the growing support I receive (…), as well as the efforts made to show me solidarity.
Any survivor knows that the ability to tell their story is often the only relief possible, and I don't have enough words to tell you the hope that your faith in me gives me (...) Thank you.
See you soon."
Johnny Depp, for his part, has not yet reacted publicly to the news.
