Going strong! Johnny Depp is “still together” with Joelle Rich amid rumors of a split, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
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“Nobody was more surprised by the reports they split than Joelle and Johnny,” the insider shares, adding that “nothing has changed” with the status of their relationship.
According to the source, the attorney is “still very much in the picture” as the couple continue to see where their romance is headed. “They are both loving the time they spend together,” the insider shares with Us.
Earlier this year, Us broke the news of Depp’s romance with Rich, 37. At the time, a second source revealed that the pair met after working on his U.K. libel lawsuit.
“Their chemistry is off the charts,” the insider told Us. “It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”
The source also noted that Rich was by Depp’s side during his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, saying, “There was no professional obligation for her being there. It was personal.”
The Kentucky native’s new romance came amid his high-profile court battle with Heard, 36. Depp, 59, was previously married to the actress from 2015 to 2017. Following 15 months of marriage, Heard filed for divorce and obtained a temporary restraining order after she accused the Nightmare on Elm Street star of domestic violence.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star, who has denied the claims, ended up suing the U.K. newspaper The Sun after they referred to him as a “wife beater” in a 2018 article. During the trial, Depp hired Rich to represent him in the libel lawsuit. He ultimately lost his overseas case two years later.
In 2018, Depp took Heard to court after she penned a Washington Post op-ed about her history with abuse. The actor claimed that the Texas native’s article negatively impacted his career even though he was not named in the piece. Meanwhile, Heard argued that she lost out on jobs following their split due to their messy legal battles.
A jury ultimately ruled in favor of Depp after several weeks of testimonies in June. The judge announced that Depp would be awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Heard, for her part, was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages and no punitive damages for her counterclaim.
The Drive Angry actress would only have to pay $10.35 million after the judge reduced the amount due to a Virginia law capping punitive damages. The duo have individually expressed plans to appeal the verdict.
Following the hearing, Depp released a statement to address his reaction to the news.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” he told Us that same month. “Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
The musician said he felt “overwhelmed” by the “outpouring of love and the colossal support and kindness” that he received amid the legal proceedings. “I also hope that the position will now return to innocent until proven guilty, both within the courts and in the media,” he added.
Heard, however, took to social media to share her response. “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words,” she wrote via Instagram. “I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband.”
The Aquaman actress explained that her worries extended beyond her own involvement in the case. “I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated,” she continued. “It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.”
Heard concluded: “I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the U.K. I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly.”
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