Johnny Depp Responds to Domestic Abuse Claim: Lawyer Says Amber Heard Is Making Allegations to Gain Upper Hand in Divorce
Johnny Depp’s attorney claims Amber Heard is accusing him of domestic abuse to gain an upper hand in their divorce.
Depp’s high-powered divorce attorney Laura Wasser said in a response to Heard’s request for a protective order that “Amber is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse.”
Depp had previously signaled that he planned to fight Heard’s request for spousal support in the divorce proceedings.
In a signed affidavit, Heard alleged that Depp was verbally and physically abusive “during the entirety of our relationship.”
She also alleged that Depp threw his iPhone at her face last Saturday, hitting her in the eye during an argument at their home in downtown Los Angeles.
On Friday afternoon, Heard emerged from court with a bruise under her eye. She also submitted several photos of herself with a bruise on her face as evidence she was assaulted, according to court documents. The LAPD says officers were called to Depp and Heard’s home on Saturday night, but found no evidence of abuse.
In court documents, Wasser says that Depp has agreed to stay away from Heard and says he is not a threat to her – not least because he is currently in Europe and does not plan to return to the U.S. until June 7 at the earliest.
“Her current application for a temporary restraining order along with her financial requests appears to be in response to the negative media attention she received earlier this week after filing for divorce,” Wasser wrote. “Yet Johnny cannot protect himself or Amber from media scrutiny, and Amber’s anger certainly cannot drive this dissolution proceeding.”
The filing did not address the specifics of Heard's domestic abuse allegations.
Instead, Wasser argued that Heard was attempting to sway the divorce proceedings in her favor.
Reps and lawyers for Depp have not responded for multiple requests for comment. Depp’s only statement so far came on Thursday, before the abuse allegations: “Given the brevity of this marriage and the most recent and tragic loss of his mother, Johnny will not respond to any of the salacious false stories, gossip, misinformation and lies about his personal life. Hopefully the dissolution of this short marriage will be resolved quickly.”
In the restraining order filed Friday, Heard requested $50,000 a month in spousal support from Depp, protection for her dog Pistol, sole access to the downtown L.A. home where Depp and Heard have lived since getting married, and sole access to the Range Rover the Heard has been driving. She also requested that Depp enroll in 52 weeks of anger management classes.
A judge granted the protective order that Depp stay away from Heard, but shelved all of Heard’s other requests until a formal hearing.
Wasser says that Heard is taking advantage of Depp at an emotional time; his mother died three days before Heard filed for divorce on Monday. Additionally, Wasser says that Heard does not need emergency money.
“Amber is a successful model and actress who earns her own income and is capable of supporting herself,” she says.
Attorney Donald David, who has handled several large celebrity estates in the past and is unconnected to the Depp or Heard, estimates to PEOPLE that Depp is worth up to $450 million.
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Reporting by CHAR ADAMS
