The ongoing legal disputes between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have been full of twists and turns. With multiple lawsuits centered on the media coverage and public discourse surrounding their marriage (and the high profile nature of both parties’ celebrity status) it’s not a surprise that emails and text messages from many other celebrities have been a part of the legal proceedings. Now, a whole new batch of celebrities, including Jason Momoa, have found themselves wrapped up in the case.
In the three years since the Pirates of the Caribbean lead first filed his $50 million libel suit against the Aquaman star, many details of the actors’ private lives have been made public. That will continue to be true as the case goes to trial, beginning on April 11.
According to Deadline, numerous celebrities will be called to testify. They include James Franco and Elon Musk, who famously challenged Johnny Depp to a cage fight in 2020 after he accused him of having an affair with Amber Heard. Franco was also caught up in rumors of an affair – and was already dragged into the court case against The Sun. Both actors will be on her witness list.
Paul Bettany, who has previously spoken about the uncomfortable nature of having his private correspondence with Johnny Depp subpoenaed for the case, will act as witness for the Jack Sparrow actor via video link. Bettany’s 2015 text messages with Depp, which included violent language targeted at the Oscar nominee's ex, will also be used as evidence by her legal team.
Amber Heard’s exhibit list for the trial also includes text messages and emails between the actress, Jason Momoa and James Wan, who co-starred with and directed Heard in Aquaman, respectively. They have also logged emails between J.K. Rowling and the former Fantastic Beasts star as well as emails from former The White Stripes’ lead singer and guitarist, Jack White. To date, none of the contents of this correspondence have been made publicly available. It is currently unclear what the Black Mass star and his team will present to the court during the trial.
The ruling on Johnny Depp’s lawsuit against Amber Heard will likely have a profound impact on both actors’ lives. Depp was fired from Fantastic Beasts 3 after he lost his libel lawsuit against The Sun, and Heard has been the target of numerous fan-driven initiatives to have her removed from Aquaman 2.
But the verdict will not mean the end of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s legal battles. In 2020, the actress filed a $100 million countersuit against her ex-husband following what she and her legal team called a “smear campaign” against her. While a judge ruled against Heard’s attempt to have Depp’s lawsuit dismissed last year, THR reported that a Virginia judge ruled Heard’s suit against Depp could go forward.
