Amber Heard Hasn't Paid Charities From Johnny Depp Divorce Settlement
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have yet to put their divorce drama behind them.
As Nicki Swift previously reported, Heard, 30, vowed to donate her entire settlement from Depp to charity. "As described in the restraining order and divorce settlement, money played no role for me personally and never has, except to the extent that I could donate it to charity and, in doing so, hopefully help those less able to defend themselves," Heard said in a statement to People on Aug. 18, 2016. "As reported in the media, the amount received in the divorce was $7 million and $7 million is being donated. This is over and above any funds that I have given away in the past and will continue to give away in the future."
The donations were supposed to be split between the American Civil Liberties Union's domestic violence unit and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, but TMZ reported on Nov. 28, 2016, that neither cause has received a dime from the Aquaman (2017) actress.
Depp reportedly offered to donate the money directly to the charities, even sending the first installment of the settlement ($200,000) in equal shares to the children's hospital and the ACLU. According to the Inquistr, Heard was "furious" about Depp's direct donation because she didn't want her ex to get the tax deductions from the charitable giving.
At the time of this writing, TMZ reported the couple's settlement had not been signed, so future donations are at a standstill. Heard's lawyer, Pierce O'Donnell, told the tab, "The settlement documents are being finalized and will be signed this week. Johnny is obligated by the settlement to pay Amber, and she in turn will honor her pledges to Children's Hospital and the ACLU."
A rep from the ACLU later contacted TMZ, saying it had received $350,000 from Heard in August 2016. According to the tab, a source connected to the actress said "she advanced the money, relying on Johnny paying her the settlement" but had not yet paid the children's hospital because of the continued rancor over the divorce deal.
There may be another point of contention in the works: Heard filmed a domestic violence PSA in which she describes being a survivor of domestic abuse, but the divorce settlement reportedly prohibits the actress from mentioning her domestic violence allegations against Depp. As a result, it's unclear if Depp will have to honor their settlement, even though Heard does not mention his name directly in the segment.