Celebrity trials often draw a big crowd—and few were bigger than when actor Johnny Depp and his ex-wife of five years, actress Amber Heard, battled it out in court over accusations of defamation.
Now, it’s becoming clear what the film star, widely known for his portrayal of the quirky and witty Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, is going to do with the money he’s received from his settlement.
A source close to Depp has revealed that he plans to donate the $1 million to five charities of his choosing. Scroll down for the full story.
Actor Johnny Depp has finally chosen 5 charities he plans to donate the defamation lawsuit settlement money to
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Image credits: dior
Depp received $1 million from his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard
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A source close to Depp revealed to CNN that the actor has plans to give away the settlement money from Heard to five charities, including the Make-A-Film Foundation, The Painted Turtle, Red Feather, Marlon Brando’s Tetiaroa Society charity, and the Amazonia Fund Alliance.
The Make-A-Film Foundation helps critically ill children make short films. The Painted Turtle provides camp experiences for children with serious medical conditions. Red Feather provides safe housing to Native Americans.
The Tetiaroa Society works to preserve the ecosystem of the Tetiaroa atoll. And the Amazonia Fund Alliance protects indigenous communities in the Amazonian rainforest. According to TMZ, Depp choosing to donate to The Painted Turtle and the Tetiaroa Society may be tributes to actors Paul Newman and Marlon Brando, whom he respects.
Depp, reportedly, has received the money and plans to split the $1 million equally among the charitable organizations, giving each one $200,000.
CNN reports that a jury in Virginia found both Heard and Depp liable for defamation in June 2022. They later came to a settlement in December, and Heard agreed to pay Depp $1 million in damages. The idea to give all the money away is nothing new.
Those who watched the court proceedings closely might remember that, at the time, Depp’s lawyers had pledged to donate the money to charity. What’s happening now is that promise getting closer to being fulfilled.
“The jury's unanimous decision and the resulting judgment in Mr. Depp's favor against Ms. Heard remain fully in place. The payment of $1 million—which Mr. Depp is pledging and will (actually) donate to charities—reinforces Ms. Heard's acknowledgment of the conclusion of the legal system's rigorous pursuit for justice,” Depp’s attorneys Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez said in a statement in December 2022.
The Depp-Heard trial was a very high-profile case that got a lot of attention in the media and online
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Image credits: Law&Crime Network
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Image credits: Law&Crime Network
After a settlement was reached in December 2022, Depp's lawyers declared that he would give the money to charity
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The jury had awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in 2022. Meanwhile, Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages. Both celebrities’ lawyers eventually reached a settlement where Heard had to pay Depp $1 million.
Depp had initially sued his ex-wife for $50 million and she countersued for $100 million over an op-ed piece that Heard had written for The Washington Post. In the article, Heard had described herself as a victim of abuse, after a UK court found that an earlier article, which had described Depp as a wife beater, was accurate.
Depp told the BBC that he won’t let the legal battles with Heard define him, asking people not to judge him over it.
“Comeback is a weird thing because... I didn't go anywhere. "People may have made sure that I was not looked at favorably—powerful press, powerful media, for whatever reasons,” Depp spoke to the BBC at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
According to the actor, before anyone judges him, they should look at their own families. “I suggest before people start pointing fingers and making judgment on others that they have no idea about, I would say, everybody, take one day off of work, stay at home, start your investigation of everyone in your family,” he said.
"Start with your father. Look way back. Dad [has] always been just a wonderful guy, has he? Your uncles, look at your brothers. Look around you first before you start passing judgment on someone that you have no idea what that person has been through, who they are.”
Here's how some internet users reacted to the news about Depp giving the money to charity
