A petition to remove actress Amber Heard from the upcoming Aquaman 2 film has received over 1 million signatures following Johnny Depp’s resignation from Fantastic Beasts.
The Heard/Depp situation has been ongoing for years now .But it was thrown back into the spotlight last week when Johnny was forced to resign from the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel after losing his libel case against UK publication The Sun over an article in which they called Depp a “wife beater.”
But now, Depp fans are demanding for Amber Heard to be removed from Aquaman 2, alleging that she is”known and proven domestic abuser.”
The petition, which has been live on Change.org for over two years, has seen a huge surge in support in recent days, with over 1.1 million signatures and counting. However, this does not necessarily equate to 1 million supporters, as it *is* possible to sign a petition multiple times with different email addresses.
Depp recently lost his libel case against The Sun, with the court ruling that their use of the term “wife beater” was fair.
“I accept that the defendants have shown that the words they published were substantially true in the meanings I have held them to bear,” the judge ruled.
In addition to his lawsuit against The Sun, Depp is also suing Amber Heard for defamation, seeking damages worth $50M USD over her infamous Washington Post op-ed, which notably doesn’t name the Pirates of the Carribean actor specifically. This lawsuit is ongoing, with Depp to give his deposition in court this week.
Although he’s suing for defamation, Depp has not pressed domestic violence charges against Heard.
There’s a whole lot to unpack when it comes to the Heard/Depp situation, with both parties accusing each other of pretty extreme domestic violence.
It’s worth noting that Heard admitted to “hitting” Depp in audio tapes obtained by the Daily Mail.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t, uh, uh, hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you. Babe, you’re not punched,” she said in the tapes, which are a key piece of evidence in Depp’s defamation case.
Heard was also arrested on domestic violence charges in 2009 in relation to an incident involving her then-girlfriend Tasya Van Ree. However, the charges were dropped, Heard was released and Van Ree has since spoken out in support of Heard, calling it a wrongful accusation that was “misinterpreted” by police at the time.
Despite the huge response to the petition, it’s important to note that Amber Heard has not be formally charged with any domestic violence in relation to Depp, despite their lengthy legal battles.
However, as part of his libel case against The Sun, a judge *did* sufficient evidence that Depp physically assaulted Heard in the Gold Coast, according to The Guardian.
High Court judge Andrew Nicol found Amber Heard to be “the victim of sustained and multiple assaults by Mr Depp in Australia”.
While he noted that Heard exaggerated the situation, Judge Nichol found 12 out of 14 of her allegations to be proven to the civil standard.
“I accept her evidence of the nature of the assaults he committed against her. They must have been terrifying. I accept that Mr Depp put her in fear of her life,” Nichol said in court.
Depp has not been charged with domestic violence in relation to these findings, but it was enough for The Sun to be within their legal rights to call him a “wife beater.”
Obviously, one party’s guilt does not necessarily equate to the other’s innocence, but it truly is worth noting that – in the eyes of the law – Heard was not lying about her abuse claims.
But regardless, over a million people are still calling for Warner Bros to remove her from the film.
“Men are victims of domestic abuse, just like women,” the petition said.
“Do the right thing. Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2.”
Following the huge response to the petition, Heard clarified that she’s “excited” to film the sequel.
“I’m super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that Aquaman has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for Aquaman and Mera that it means we’ll be coming back,” Heard told EW on Friday. “I’m so excited to film that.”
Warner Bros is yet to respond to the petition.
