Last week’s judgment of the British High Court against Johnny Depp is still sending shockwaves throughout the entertainment industry. The actor’s gamble that The Sun newspaper calling him a “wife beater” was libellous backfired after the judge found Amber Heard’s version of events believable. He’s now on the hook for substantial legal fees, faces long-term career damage and has already been booted off Fantastic Beasts 3.
The judgment is reportedly also influencing Heard’s career, though in a more positive way. She’s currently preparing to shoot Aquaman 2Â in early 2021, in which she’ll reprise the role of Atlantean princess Mera. Over the last year, we’ve heard many reports that Warner Bros. were getting cold feet about the bad publicity surrounding the actress and there’ve been numerous rumors that they’re going to minimize her role or even recast it. Now, however, it sounds as if the opposite is true.
Scooper Mikey Sutton is claiming that the judge’s ruling means she’s staying put, as Warner Bros. are fully aware of the PR consequences of firing someone ruled to be a victim of domestic violence.
“An insider told me that, since the judge believed that The Sun‘s allegations of Depp as a wife beater were accurate, Heard is seen as the victim in this scandal by WB,” says Sutton. “Consequently, firing her would be in poor taste and could cause a backlash.”
If true, this will doubtless infuriate Depp’s legions of loyal fans who generally place Heard somewhere between Hitler and Pol Pot in the ‘History’s Greatest Monsters’ lineup. There are already multiple calls to boycott Aquaman 2 that I suspect will only increase in volume over 2021, though I doubt that the vast majority of the viewing audience will care one way or the other.
Depp’s lawyers are planning to appeal the decision of the High Court, though, and there are several ongoing legal matters this side of the pond concerning the pair, so whatever the case, this bitter battle between the Pirates of the Caribbean star and Amber Heard is destined to rumble on for a long time to come.
