The Shady Side Of Amber Heard
The following article contains references to allegations of domestic abuse and drug use.
When Johnny Depp announced that he was marrying Amber Heard in 2014, fans were understandably surprised. This was, after all, the indie darling who spent almost 15 years living in apparent domestic bliss with French chanteuse Vanessa Paradis, only to suddenly tie the knot with an actor over 20 years his junior. But Depp was deeply in love with the young starlet; subsequently, he and Heard became the Hollywood power couple of the 2010s, albeit briefly. Following their shocking 2017 divorce, it didn't take long for things to truly get ugly.
For Depp fans, Heard quickly fell from her pedestal as a budding star praised for her LGBTQ+ and human rights activism. The tide turned when the "Aquaman" actor accused her former beau of domestic violence following their divorce, while Depp later claimed that it was Heard who abused him. Many would argue that toxic doesn't even begin to describe the relationship between these two estranged exes. Although Depp stans vehemently deny any wrongdoing on his part, there is evidence that suggests their former marriage may have been mutually abusive, as their couple's therapist testified in 2022.
He may be adepp-t at throwing shade at Heard (just check out those toe-curling texts to Paul Bettany), but Heard is no stranger to keeping her eye on the shadeball. Let's explore the seemingly oh-so-shady side of Amber Heard, with admitted dog smuggling, bed-pooping claims, and cheating allegations aplenty.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Amber Heard allegedly assaulted her girlfriend
When Amber Heard initially accused Johnny Depp of domestic abuse back in 2016, fans were left aghast by the allegations. Per Refinery29, Depp's hardcore fanbase struggled to fathom that the superstar they worshipped and adored could be guilty of such acts of violence. So, when a story resurfaced involving accusations of domestic abuse levied at Heard herself, several Depp fans felt vindicated.
Before she met Depp, Heard dated photographer Tasya van Ree. In 2009, Heard was arrested for domestic violence at the Seattle International Airport after allegedly assaulting van Ree, per TMZ. The case was eventually dropped, since both Heard and van Ree lived in California, some 900-plus miles away from Seattle. But the judge warned Heard not to get too comfy, since charges could still be brought against her within the next couple of years.
However, van Ree defended Heard against the allegations, claiming that her former flame was "wrongfully accused" of domestic violence. "I recount hints of misogynistic attitudes toward us which alter appeared to be homophobic when they found out we were domestic partners and not just 'friends,'" van Ree reasoned, per E!.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
She smuggled her dogs into Australia
Back in 2015, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were embroiled in a bizarre canine conspiracy. Per The Guardian, Heard was charged with illegally bringing her pet dogs, Pistol and Boo, into Australia, where Depp was filming a movie. Smuggling animals into Australia is a particularly perilous crime since it's not only potentially harmful for the animal, but pets brought in from abroad may harbor dangerous diseases that pose a risk to biodiversity. Australian politician Barnaby Joyce condemned the couple for breaking the law, famously stating, "It's time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States," and also threatened to have the pups put down.
Despite Heard being prosecuted by the state, her conviction was ultimately dropped. As reported by CNN, she pleaded guilty to "knowingly producing a false or misleading document," but was let off the hook for good behavior. Subsequently, Heard and Depp issued an infamous apology video, in which they emphasized the dangers of bringing undeclared pets into Australia. Joyce mocked the video, likening it to an "[audition] for 'The Godfather.'"
To add extra shade to an already tenebrous situation, Heard named her new dog after her Aussie nemesis in late 2021. "Meet the newest member of the Heard family, Barnaby Joyce!" she tweeted along with a snap of her adopted pooch. Regarding the choice of name, Joyce had an equally snide retort. "I get a real sense of accomplishment that I'm still in her head long after I've forgotten about them," he told The Australian (via BBC News). Ouch.
Amber Heard allegedly did hard drugs at her wedding reception
At the 2022 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial, Depp claimed that his daughter, Lily Rose, didn't attend the couple's 2015 wedding because the two women didn't get along, per People. He hinted that Heard's alleged wild behavior may have contributed to her feud with the younger Depp. For instance, the actor went on to claim that Heard invited what he called a "gang" of pals to the couple's wedding reception, where they proceeded to take copious amounts of drugs. According to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, "Dinner, dancing and drugs" were on the agenda for the lavish event. Depp, meanwhile, claimed that he merely smoked pot, while Heard engaged in more debauched activities.
As noted by the Mirror, Heard previously countered Depp's claims by suggesting that it was in fact him who spent the majority of their wedding day taking illicit substances. But according to Heard's former assistant, Kate James, her supposed drug use was out of control, leading to "manic episodes" and outbursts of violence. "I was just someone to lash out at," James asserted during her testimony, per The Guardian.
Similarly, when Depp launched a 2020 libel case against British tabloid The Sun, who had branded the star a "wife beater," all manner of sordid allegations relating to Heard surfaced. The Daily Mail reported that she was accused of drinking heavily and doing cocaine, thereby encouraging Depp to take hard drugs and worsening his drug dependency. Heard branded the claims "preposterous," though she did admit to taking hallucinogens at Coachella.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
There are claims she staged her domestic abuse injuries
Some of the most damning accusations levied at Amber Heard pertain to her status as a domestic abuse survivor. In 2016, Heard photographed her bruises and bloody injuries to prove that Johnny Depp was violent towards her, but he's claimed the injuries were staged. Doubt was initially cast on the authenticity of her wounds in 2020, during Depp's libel trial against The Sun. As reported by the Daily Mail, Heard claimed she had two black eyes when she appeared on "The Late Late Show" back in 2015. However, her stylist said she struggled to find a single bruise or cut on her.
Likewise, during Depp's 2022 defamation suit, there were further suggestions that Heard had not only lied about injuries that Depp supposedly inflicted upon her, but that she was not a domestic abuse survivor in the first place. "She has been living and breathing this lie for years now," Deep's attorney, Camille Vasquez, claimed (via The Guardian). "She is preparing to give the performance of a lifetime in this trial."
Heard was accused of faking her injuries by Isaac Baruch, Depp's friend, who alleged in court that he saw no evidence of Depp having injured Heard when she recounted tales of domestic violence to him, per AP News. According to Sky News, Baruch lamented "all the phoney pictures that were taken and put in tabloids" and her "fraudulent DV [domestic violence] claim." Meanwhile, The Cut reports that Heard may have used red nail varnish to fake a bloody nose supposedly inflicted by Depp, as he claimed during the same trial.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Amber Heard was accused of assaulting her own sister
During Johnny Depp's 2020 libel trial, there were claims that Amber Heard's alleged history of violence was not confined to her ex-spouse. As reported by BBC News, the court played a video from an unaired reality TV segment from the mid-2000s, in which Heard's sister, Whitney Henriquez, was seen with an injury. When asked if she was okay, Henriquez conceded that she got into an argument with her sister. Although Henriquez denied that Heard had ever assaulted her, more people would soon come forward with claims of the pair's toxic sororal relationship.
Per The Guardian, witnesses testified in 2022 that Heard was allegedly highly abusive toward her sister. According to Heard's former assistant, Kate James, the "Aquaman" star had a "kick-the-dog kind of relationship" with Henriquez. James also alleged that Heard's supposed abusive behavior extended to her, claiming that the star "felt she had the right to spit in my face."
According to the Mirror, Heard and her sister have long had a tumultuous relationship. The duo had a falling out in 2015 when Heard accused Henriquez of selling her wedding photos to the tabloids, a theory apparently instilled in her by Depp. Subsequently, Henriquez said she felt betrayed that Heard sided with her man instead of her own sister. "I was upset that she believed Johnny over me, and there was a long period in 2015 when I was estranged from Amber and Johnny because of this," she stated during the 2022 defamation trial.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
She was recorded admitting to hitting Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp has long maintained that it was Amber Heard who was the abuser in their relationship, not him. His claims have been partly corroborated by audio recordings, in which the "Pineapple Express" actor can be heard admitting to assaulting Depp. "I did not punch you," Heard said in one such recording, per BuzzFeed. "I did not f***ing deck you. I f***ing was hitting you. ... You are such a baby. Grow the f*** up, Johnny. I did start a physical fight."
Subsequently, Depp said that Heard's allegedly false accusations that he abused her led to him suffering from extreme mental anguish. After he lost out on work due to her domestic violence claims, Depp said he sunk into a pit of despair, but, as a man, felt the need to hide his emotions from others. Describing an instance in which he returned to his tour bus after playing a live show, he said, "So I just sat in the back of the bus and just cried and hid it from people."
Despite his insistence that his ex-wife was the abuser, it seems that Depp may have also been abusive toward Heard. As noted by Deadline, he admittedly sent disturbing messages to his then-wife, which read, "The only reason we go for the throat is love. ... I have other uses for your throat which do not include injury." He also joked about killing and sexually assaulting Heard in texts sent to fellow actor Paul Bettany.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Amber Heard allegedly defecated in Depp's bed
Of all the horrifying claims to come out of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard fiasco, there is perhaps nothing quite as stomach-churning as the former's assertion that his estranged ex-wife left a nasty surprise in his bed. We've all heard the adage "'The Simpsons' predicted it," but maybe now it's time to start the mantra, "'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' predicted it," since the irreverent Philly sitcom has an episode fittingly entitled, "Who Pooped the Bed?"
During the 2020 trial, Depp claimed that Heard got her revolting revenge on him after he threatened to break up with her on her 30th birthday. Per the Daily Mail, he allegedly looked in his bed to find feces, which he joked was "a strangely oddly fitting end to the relationship." He went on to brand his ex "Amber Turd" following the icky prank. When the supposed incident came up again during the 2022 lawsuit, Depp admitted (via Insider), "My initial response to that was, I laughed. It was so outside, it was so bizarre and so grotesque that I could only laugh." EW reports that Heard apparently attempted to blame the fecal surprise on the couple's dogs — claims that Depp dismissed as absurd. "They're teacup Yorkies. They weigh about 4 pounds each. ... I lived with those dogs for many years," Depp reasoned. "It was not the dogs. ... I didn't feel like I deserved that kind of treatment."
Somewhat inevitably, "Amber Turd" and "MePoo" would soon become trending Twitter hashtags. Talk about the, ahem, turd hitting the fan.
There are claims she cheated on Johnny Depp with various lovers
Back in 2016, Amber Heard was accused of having an extramarital affair with model Cara Delevingne. As an insider alleged to The Sun (via the Mirror) at the time, "Amber's friendship with Cara, which grew closer and closer over time, brought about the beginning of the end for her marriage to Johnny [Depp]." The source went on to claim that Heard was deliberately humiliating Depp by pursuing relationships with other women throughout their marriage.
The Delevingne rumor arose again in 2020 when Page Six reported that billionaire Elon Musk allegedly had a threesome with the pair. Heard did indeed begin dating Musk almost immediately after breaking up with Depp, but the Tesla CEO insisted that the three-way was pure fabrication. "Cara and I are friends, but we've never been intimate. ... Also, I wish to confirm again that Amber and I only started going out about a month after her divorce filing," he told Page Six. That year, there were also rumors that Heard cheated with Billy Bob Thornton, though Thornton told TMZ that the claims were "completely false."
But Heard's alleged affairs are not confined to a steamy three-way with a billionaire and a British model, nor a dalliance with Thornton. There are allegations that Heard also cheated with James Franco, her "Pineapple Express" co-star and onetime pal. TMZ reports that Depp became jealous after Heard filmed an apparently steamy scene with Franco in a movie project, leading to him sending those vulgar texts to his bud, Paul Bettany.
Johnny Depp claims his ex-wife failed to donate her divorce settlement
When Johnny Depp and Amber Heard divorced in 2017, the latter received a $7 million settlement, which she pledged to donate to two charities of her choice, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, per USA Today. Heard's charitable efforts were used as evidence against Depp in the 2020 libel trial, as the court argued that Heard couldn't possibly be motivated by avarice when she donated Depp's money. "Her donation of the $7m to charity is hardly the act one would expect of a gold-digger," the judge ruled (via the Daily Mail). But doubts were later cast on whether Heard ever donated the hefty sum she promised.
Depp's lawyer, Andrew Caldecott, said that he contacted Children's Hospital LA, who said they didn't receive the money from Heard. Accordingly, Caldecott called her pledge a "calculated and manipulative lie, designed to achieve a potent favorable impression from the outset," per Metro. Likewise, he added that Heard's lawyers lied about the amount of money that had been donated, allegedly a scarce $100,000 out of the $7 million she vowed to dish out.
Indeed, Heard's lawyers have admitted that she hadn't donated all the money she promised, but claimed it was Depp's suit that was hindering her philanthropic pursuits. "Amber has been delayed in that goal because Mr. Depp filed a lawsuit against her, and consequently, she has been forced to spend millions of dollars defending Mr. Depp's false accusations against her," her attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, told Deadline.
Amber Heard allegedly mocked and belittled Johnny Depp
At the 2022 trial, it was revealed that Johnny Depp had been abused by his mom. Subsequently, Depp said that he had been drawn to women similar to his mother, drawing parallels between her abuse and his ex-wife's alleged domestic violence, per the Independent. According to Depp's claims, Amber Heard purposely sought to humiliate him, much like his mother did.
For instance, the actor highlighted an instance in which Heard took a photo of him as he was passed out; he claimed she deliberately put an ice-cream in his hand, which dripped onto his lap, to demean him, as reported by the Independent. "Ms. Heard asked me to hold the ice cream as she noticed that I was on the nod — that means falling asleep — from the 17-hour day that I had worked and also the opiates that I had ingested," he recounted.
Additionally, it has been alleged that she exploited the fact that some people were unlikely to believe that Heard, a svelte, ultra-feminine woman, was the aggressor against a much older and physically imposing figure like Depp. It is believed that approximately 1 out of 10 men are survivors of domestic violence, yet pervasive stigma often prevents male victims from speaking out. This, Depp claimed, is something Heard used to her advantage. As chronicled by the Daily Mail, Heard apparently taunted her husband, saying, "Tell the world Johnny, tell them. ... I Johnny Depp, a man, I'm a victim too of domestic violence ... and see how many people believe or side with you."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.