Here's Why Jason Momoa Is Being Criticized For His Alleged Behavior Towards Amber Heard On The "Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom" Set
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Warning: Mention of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Resurfaced notes from Amber Heard's therapist allege that Jason Momoa attempted to have her fired from the Aquaman sequel.
For context, the first Aquaman movie was released in 2018 and starred Momoa in the titular role and Heard as Mera. The sequel, which Momoa co-wrote the story treatment for, was shot from June to December 2021.
During this time, Heard was involved in a number of high-profile legal battles with her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. This included a 2020 UK case where Depp infamously lost his libel trial after the Sun called him a "wife-beater" and a judge found "that the great majority of alleged assaults of Ms Heard by Mr Depp have been proved to the civil standard." The highly publicized US jury trial concluded in June 2022 that both Heard and Depp were liable for defamation, with Depp winning significantly more in damages.
Depp's fans have been notoriously vocal and active throughout this time, recently paying court fees for the release of handwritten notes from Heard's therapist, Dr. Dawn Hughes. The notes had initially been subpoenaed by Depp's team during the US trial.
A report by Variety goes into these notes amid the upcoming release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, noting that the release of documents was timed with the release of a new trailer for the movie.
“Jason drunk — late on set. Dressing like Johnny. Has all the rings too. I did my job, professional, " the notes say. They further claim that Momoa “wanted me fired.” A source close to Heard told Variety that her lawyers had fought the release of the therapy documents.
A spokesperson for DC told Variety, “Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” A representative for Momoa declined to comment.
It's worth noting here that the notes could mean that Heard was triggered by the way that Momoa was dressing, not that he was intentionally dressing up as Depp. A source on the production told Variety, "He has always dressed in that bohemian style.”
The movie's director, James Wan, is further mentioned in the notes, which further claim that people weren't allowed to take photos with Heard. The notes continue, “He raised his voice @ me — ‘I can’t even post about Aquaman’ — made it like it was my fault – I said ‘I’m sorry.'"
“James is known for treating members of his cast and crew with the utmost respect and for fostering a positive, collaborative environment on set — the Aquaman films were no exception," a spokesperson for DC told Variety.
Variety then reported that Heard was nearly fired, according to sources on both sides. A Warner Bros. exec testified in the US trial that this was because of a lack of "chemistry" between Momoa and Heard. The notes claim, as Heard has, that her role was significantly reduced amid the Depp legal woes. According to Variety, Heard was never fired because her ex, Elon Musk, had a litigator send a "scorched-earth letter to Warner Bros. threatening to burn the house down" if she wasn't brought back.
Musk declined to comment to Variety.
Upon release of the report, some took to the website formerly known as Twitter to call out Momoa's alleged role:
It's very very difficult to be in the same sentence as Elon musk and be the worse person but Jason Momoa did it. https://t.co/AlDM980VWx
— Alexandre🍿 (@AlexandreForU) October 10, 2023
Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection Twitter: @AlexandreForU
Some brought up a quote of Momoa's from 2011 where he said joked about getting to "rape beautiful women" in Game of Thrones:
this is the same man who said he likes that his character on game of thrones gets to “rape beautiful women”. he shouldn’t be allowed around women ever. https://t.co/BGxGCV7Kgh
— siyyan (@siyyaninaas) October 10, 2023
Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection Twitter: @siyyaninaas
Jason has since apologized for his remarks.
While some emphasized that the dressing similarities weren't necessarily "on purpose":
ppl didn’t interpret the notes correctly. amber heard said that jason momoa’s style and him drinking made her remind of johnny depp which is inevitable. the many parallels were bringing her back to the old memories. she didn’t say he did it on purpose to provoke her. https://t.co/vX0PFunbyh
— wonder. (@godsandmortaIs) October 10, 2023
Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection Twitter: @godsandmortaIs
And others brought up how the notes had been made public in the first place:
not enough focus being put on the fact that this information was not uncovered via public accusation, but via notes from Amber Heard’s therapy sessions. It’s not a “he said, she said” it’s a “she said something to her therapist & people who wish her ill will made it public”. https://t.co/2EwjuUlQsP
— pumpkenna 🎃👻 (@mouseabolition) October 10, 2023
Warner Bros./courtesy Everett Collection Twitter: @mouseabolition
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 (HOPE), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
BuzzFeed has reached out to a representative for Jason Momoa for comment.
