A source close to the Pirates of the Caribbean star tells ET the actor will distribute portions of the $1 million settlement from Heard to five different charities, with $200,000 going to each charity.
The charities that Depp has selected range from those that benefit sick children, conserving the environment and those that provide safe housing for underserved communities.
The charities include Make-A-Film (which pairs actors, writers, directors and producers with children who are battling life-threatening or serious illnesses), The Painted Turtle (an organization that is part of Paul Newman’s legacy and provides a life-changing free camp experience for sick children, inspiring them to reach beyond their illness), Red Feather (which partners with Indigenous communities to develop and implement lasting and impactful housing solutions), Teitaroa Society (Marlo Brando’s charity that ensures island and costal communities have a future), and Amazonia Fund Alliance (which helps to finance the projects of some of the most important Brazilian Non-profit organizations such as SPVS, SOS AMAZÔNIA, ALOK Institute).
ET has reached out to Heard for a statement.
Depp filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard in March 2019 after the Washington Post published an op-ed she wrote about being the victim of domestic violence. Depp’s name was not mentioned in the article, however, the story came out as their contentious 2016 divorce continued to make headlines.
After weeks of back-and-forth in the courtroom, the jury ultimately sided with Depp in June of 2022, and the 60-year-old actor was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. The punitive damages, however, were later reduced to $350,000 in accordance with the state’s statutory cap.
While Depp won the defamation trial against his ex-wife in sweeping fashion, the same jury that awarded Depp that victory also found he was liable, citing comments previously made by Depp’s lawyer, Adam Waldman, in which he referred to Heard’s claims as a “hoax.” That counterclaim awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages.
In December, Heard filed an appeal but ultimately decided to settle the case, saying in a statement at the time that, “I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward.”
Since the end of the trial, Heard has been living in Spain with her child, while Depp formally made his return to the red carpet in May at the Cannes Film Festival.
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