Johnny Depp is reportedly dating attorney from his U.K. libel lawsuit

Jessica Wang
·2 min read
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Johnny Depp is reportedly dating attorney from his U.K. libel lawsuit
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Johnny Depp's legal saga continues with an unexpected development.

The actor is reportedly dating one of his attorneys, Joelle Rich, from his 2020 U.K. libel lawsuit against The Sun. "They are dating but it's not serious," a source told PEOPLE.

EW has reached out to Depp's representatives and Rich for comment.

The London-based lawyer represented Depp when he sued The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater" in a news article centered on ex-wife Amber Heard's allegations of domestic violence. He lost the case in November 2020, with the court upholding the accusations as "substantially true." His attempt to overturn the verdict was overruled.

Rich did not represent Depp in his defamation lawsuit against Heard in the U.S. earlier this summer, but she did make several appearances at the courthouse in Fairfax County, Va., during the trial.

Johnny Depp look at his smartphone with his UK legal Counsel Joelle Rich during an afternoon recess outside court during the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard civil trial at Fairfax County
Johnny Depp look at his smartphone with his UK legal Counsel Joelle Rich during an afternoon recess outside court during the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard civil trial at Fairfax County

Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images Joelle Rich and Johnny Depp outside the Virginia courthouse in May.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor was represented by Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew in the U.S. case, which he won in June. A jury concluded that Heard intentionally and maliciously defamed Depp when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed identifying herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse.

Heard's team filed to appeal the verdict in July after a motion for a mistrial was denied. "We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment," a spokesperson for Heard said. "We are therefore appealing the verdict. While we realize today's filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice."

When reached for comment on the appeal, a spokesperson for Depp told EW, "The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand."

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