Now that there's an upcoming film about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial, fans can't help but wonder about the future of the ex-couple.
While Depp is currently filming a movie in France and is dating his lawyer, Joelle Rich, fans think that Heard won't able to bounce back just as easily (both in her career and love life). Here's how she's doing amid the comeback of the former Fantastic Beasts star.
Amber Heard Is Focusing On Her Child After Johnny Depp Drama
In an interview with NBC's Today, following the defamation trial, Heard said that she'd no longer need to "juggle calls with lawyers" and would be able to focus on her one-year-old daughter, Oonagh Paige Heard.
The Aquaman star welcomed her baby on April 8, 2021 via surrogacy. "I'm so excited to share this news with you. Four years ago, I decided I wanted to have a child. I wanted to do it on my own terms," she announced on Instagram in June that year. "I now appreciate how radical it is for us as women to think about one of the most fundamental parts of our destinies in this way."
She continued: "I hope we arrive at a point in which it's normalized to not want a ring in order to have a crib. A part of me wants to uphold that my private life is none of anyone's business. I also get that the nature of my job compels me to take control of this. My daughter was born on April 8, 2021. Her name is Oonagh Paige Heard. She's the beginning of the rest of my life."
Heard also said that she's the "mom and the dad" to her daughter. "I'm just the mom and the dad. She's the boss," she said on Instagram. According to reports, the actress may have had a sperm donor. But after her marriage to Depp, she was believed to have dated Elon Musk and James Franco whom she called a "friend" who "lived next door."
Amber Heard Wants Insurance Companies To Pay $10 Million Johnny Depp
Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10.35 million in damages. But when asked if she could afford it, her lawyer Elaine Bredehof told the Today show,
"Oh, no, absolutely not." The judge initially stated that Depp was entitled to $15 million. The Magic Mike actress only has a net worth of $8 million — mostly from the settlement from her divorce from the Pirates of the Caribbean star. Recently, she hired another lawyer to get two insurance companies to pay the libel payout.
Already represented by David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown in her appeal of the verdict, the Pineapple Express star also hired Kirk Pasich in an attempt to get multiple insurance firms to cover her legal bills of over $15 million.
According to reports, Heard had already spent $8 million in legal expenses even before the Virginia trial. Now, her team is aiming for homeowner's insurance to cover it all. Insurers are already suing her using a California law that prevents them from covering "willful acts."
What's Next For Amber Heard's Career After Johnny Depp Trial?
Following the verdict of the trial, Warner Bros. couldn't guarantee that Heard would still be present in Aquaman 2. But according to new reports, the studio decided to keep her in the film.
They even increased her screen time from 10 minutes to 20 minutes. Although many thought she'd have trouble finding new projects, Heard actually has two films lined up. She's set to star in In the Fire and Run Away With Me.
Despite fans filing a petition to remove Heard from DC, Warner Bros. is still moving forward with the 2023 release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. During the trial, it was reported that lead actor, Jason Momoa fought to keep Heard in the sequel. Entertainment industry consultant and expert, Kathryn Arnold said in her testimony that the movie was the actress' "a star is born moment," that's why she, Momoa, and film director James Wan were "committed to her" and were "adamant she was in the film."
Fans weren't pleased about that. One tweeted: "Disappointing to see Jason Momoa supporting a proven abuser. Not the man we thought he was after all. I'm no longer a fan. Hope she was worth ruining your marriage JM. #AmberHeard #JusticeForJohnnyDepp." But around that time, fans also noticed that the Game of Thrones alum had unfollowed Heard on Instagram.