A little over a year ago, the defamation trial known as Depp v. Heard came to an end, and while there have been various updates concerning the aftermath of this legal saga since then, ex-spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have essentially gone their separate ways. Looking specifically at Depp, while he’s questioned the idea that this chapter of his life is his “comeback era,” he’s certainly been keeping busy with a variety of projects. Now there’s also an alleged update on how he’s specifically feeling more than a year after the viral trial’s conclusion.
Per an unnamed source who spoke with People, Depp “closed the chapter” on the trial in the immediate months after its conclusion, with his endeavors at the time including working on the French movie Jeanne du Barry and playing shows in Europe with guitarist Jeff Beck, who passed away in January. This source added:
He feels incredibly lucky to do what he loves.
For those who need a refresher, Depp v. Heard ended with the jury ruling primarily in Johnny Deep’s favor, with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor being awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages from Heard, though Heard was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages from Depp. By the following December, the two legal teams agreed to decrease Heard’s payment to $1 million, which Depp then donated to several charities. Per this source, this saga is now well behind him and he’s focused on the things that bring him joy. Regarding what he’s been up to more recently, he made a commercial for a Czech film festival, and on a more unfortunate note, he fractured his ankle, which required his band Hollywood Vampires to reschedule some of their tour dates.
As for Amber Heard, she sold her Hollywood home and is now living in Madrid, Spain with her two-year-old daughter, and according to a different unnamed source, she “has new energy and is focused on things that she loves.” A little over a week ago, the actress got candid about her personal life still being a popular topic of conversation while promoting her new movie In the Fire, noting that the promotion was “a first strong step to regaining control of her narrative.” It’s also been reported that Heard is writing a tell-all book about the Depp v. Heard trial, though this hasn’t been officially confirmed.
Although Vertical Entertainment acquired Jeanne du Barry for release in North America, it hasn’t been slated on the 2023 movie release schedule, nor the 2024 movie release schedule, so it remains to be seen when interested parties stateside will get to watch Johnny Depp’s first post-trial film performance. Meanwhile, Amber Heard will reprise Mera for December’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and while In the Fire recently premiered at the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, it doesn’t have a wide domestic release date yet either.
