Johnny Depp to donate $1million of Amber Heard settlement to multiple charities

Johnny Depp is planning to donate a large sum of the settlement from his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard to multiple charities.

Depp sued Heard over a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post, where she wrote about being a survivor of domestic violence.

Come the end of their highly publicised court case last year, Heard was instructed to pay Depp $10million (£8.4m) in compensatory damages and $5million (£4.2m) in punitive damages. Heard was awarded $2million (£1.6m) after the jury found that Depp had defamed her through his attorney.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Depp will donate $1million (£782,000) of the settlement to five different charities, giving $200,000 (£156,000) to each one. His chosen charities are the Make-A-Film Foundation, Red Feather, The Painted Turtle, the Tetiaroa Society, and the Amazonia Fund Alliance.

The Make-A-Film Foundation grants wishes to children and teenagers with serious or life-threatening medical conditions, helping them to create short films with noted actors, directors and writers.

Red Feather was established to develop housing assistance for Native American communities in America, while The Amazonia Fund Alliance aims to protect and preserve indigenous communities in the Amazon.

The Tetiaroa Society focuses on the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage of the island of Tetiaroa, which is located near Tahiti. Painted Turtle, meanwhile, is a summer camp for children with serious medical conditions that was founded by actor Paul Newman, actor and philanthropist Page Hannah, and music and film producer Lou Adler in 1999.

After a Virginia jury ruled in favour of Depp on June 1, 2022, the actor said in a statement: “False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me. It had already travelled around the world twice within a nanosecond and it had a seismic impact on my life and my career. And six years later, the jury gave me my life back.

“I am truly humbled. My decision to pursue this case, knowing very well the height of the legal hurdles that I would be facing and the inevitable, worldwide spectacle into my life, was only made after considerable thought.”

Meanwhile, Heard said in her own statement: “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. I’m even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women.”

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