Amber Heard Finally Open Up On Johnny Depp casting in Fantastic Beasts

Now it’s Amber Heard’s turn.


In the wake of a frenzy of debate about ex-husband Johnny Depp’s role in the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the actress has posted a statement of her own.


Heard’s Instagram message posted Thursday is largely a reprint of the statement Heard and Depp jointly issued as part of their divorce settlement one year ago.


But it seems to be in reaction to what she feels is the original statement being taken a bit out of context. On Thursday, Warner Bros. cited Heard’s statement in its defense of keeping Depp but not, as she points out, all of it.


Warner Bros. wrote: “We are of course aware of reports that surfaced around the end of Johnny Depp’s marriage, and take seriously the complexity of the issues involved. This matter has been jointly addressed by both parties, in a statement in which they said ‘there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.’ Based on the circumstances and the information available to us, we, along with the filmmakers, continue to support the decision to proceed with Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald in this and future films.”


Which Heard is seemingly replying to when she posted this:

On Thursday, Beasts writer and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling broke her silence on the controversy surrounding Depp’s casting.





“When Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought he’d be wonderful in the role. However, around the time of filming his cameo in the first movie, stories had appeared in the press that deeply concerned me and everyone most closely involved in the franchise,” Rowling wrote in a statement on her website, referencing domestic violence allegations made against Depp by Heard. “Harry Potter fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role. As David Yates, long-time Potter director, has already said, we naturally considered the possibility of recasting. I understand why some have been confused and angry about why that didn’t happen.”


Rowling added that while “the huge, mutually supportive community that has grown up around Harry Potter is one of the greatest joys of my life,” she found it “difficult, frustrating and at times painful” to remain silent on the Depp issue. “However,” she wrote, “the agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected. Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”


Rowling wrote the script for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald. Saying she’s “loved” that experience, she added, “I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role. However, conscience isn’t governable by committee. Within the fictional world and outside it, we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing.”


In his own statement, Yates said, “None of us involved in Fantastic Beasts would ever let our appreciation of talent obscure other, far more important considerations. We recognized the magnitude of the issues raised and understood the strength of feeling expressed. We hoped and strived at all times to be sensitive to both parties. We stand by our decision to have Johnny in the films.”


Previously, the Fantastic Beasts director told EW, “With Johnny, it seems to me there was one person who took a pop at him and claimed something. I can only tell you about the man I see every day: He’s full of decency and kindness, and that’s all I see. Whatever accusation was out there doesn’t tally with the kind of human being I’ve been working with.” He added, “By testament, some of the women in [Depp’s] life have said the same thing — ‘that’s not the human being we know.’ It’s very different [than cases] where there are multiple accusers over many years that need to be examined and we need to reflect on our industry that allows that to roll on year in and year out. Johnny isn’t in that category in any shape or form. So to me, it doesn’t bear any more analysis. It’s a dead issue.”


Heard will next appear in the stand-alone Aquaman movie, which, like Fantastic Beasts, is made by Warner Bros.

Amber Heard Responds To J.K. Rowling’s Defense Of ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Star Johnny Depp

On Thursday, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling broke her silence on the controversial casting of Johnny Depp, who was allegedly “verbally and physically abusive” to his ex-wife Amber Heard, in the Fantastic Beastsfranchise. “Based on our understanding of the circumstances,” she wrote, “the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”

Following Rowling’s comments, Heard posted an image on Twitter of the joint statement she and Depp released the day their divorce was finalized, along with a message for Rowling. “For the record, this was our FULL joint statement,” she wrote. “To pick & choose certain lines & quote them out of context, is not right. Women, stay strong.” The joint statement read, “Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm. Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future. Amber will be donating financial proceeds from the divorce to a charity.”

This is the photo Heard submitted to get a restraining order against Depp.

Heard is right to point out the picking and choosing of “certain lines,” like Rowling’s “understanding of the circumstances,” which implies that someone isn’t telling the truth about what happened between the Justice League star and Depp. It’s also worth mentioning that Rowling is siding with director David Yates, who once said, “With Johnny, it seems to me there was one person who took a pop at him and claimed something. I can only tell you about the man I see every day: he’s full of decency and kindness, and that’s all I see.” 

(Via Twitter)

Amber Heard Fights Against Domestic Violence in New PSA

Amber Heard gave an emotional statement about domestic violence in a new PSA for the #GirlGaze Project, in honor of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Towards Women this past Friday (Nov. 25, 2016).

Heard, who claimed she was abused by ex-husband Johnny Depp prior to settling her divorce with him earlier this year, never mentions Depp’s name in the short video, but rather talks to someone off camera about her experience.

“How is this happening to me? I’m strong. I’m smart. I’m not a victim,” the actress said. “There is a lot of shame attached to that label of victim. It happens to so many women. When it happens to you behind closed doors, with someone you love, it’s not that straightforward. If a stranger did this … it would be a no-brainer.”

A teary Heard then talked about the support system of women she had when she went “public” and filed a domestic violence restraining order against Depp that she later withdrew. “If I hadn’t had a few people that I really trust around me, a few women … if I didn’t have them around me, how different my life would’ve been,” she said. And she wants women to remember that “your voice is the most powerful thing.” Watch the PSA below.

Depp and Heard settled their divorce in August, with Depp agreeing to pay his ex approximately $7 million, which was donated to charity.

Amber Heard Decided To Donate Her Entire Divorce Settlement of $7million to Charity

Some good news may finally be coming out of the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp divorce scandal.
The Magic Mike XXL actress — who will receive $7 million from her estranged husband — will be donating her entire divorce settlement to charity.
Amber has decided to split the money between a children's hospital and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to help victims of domestic violence.

“As described in the restraining order and divorce settlement, money played no role for me personally and never has, except to the extent that I could donate it to charity and, in doing so, hopefully help those less able to defend themselves,” she said in a statement.







Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images


The actress decided to donate to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where she has worked as a volunteer for the past 10 years.
"Over the years, I have seen firsthand how more funding for staffing, better equipment and better medication can make the difference between life or death for a child.
“I know these organizations will put the funds to good use and look forward to continuing to support them in the future.
“Hopefully, this experience results in a positive change in the lives of people who need it the most.”



Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The ACLU also released a statement thanking the Mandy Lane star and are "incredibly grateful.”
“For years, we have worked through the courts and legislatures around the country to make sure that domestic violence victims are fully protected by the law and receive the government assistance they deserve,” Executive Director of the ACLU said.
“We could not be more thankful for Ms. Heard’s support — she can be confident that this gift will help other women live safely and freely.”






Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images


Even though Amber continues to support several domestic violence causes, the actress applied to have her domestic abuse petition dismissed.
“There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm. Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future,” her attorneys stated after the settlement.

Video Emerges Showing Johnny Depp Going Off Violently On Amber Heard

The lawsuit between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp is still very much ongoing.

A video emerges on Friday, August 12 showing the 53-year-old chucking a bottle of wine towards his estranged wife, TMZ has reported.

The clip shows the 30-year-old asking the actor if he had the entire bottle of wine.

“Oh, you got this thing going? You got this going!” the Pirates of the Caribbean star is seen yelling to his wife, who was filming.

The father of two then begins to thrash around, slam cabinets and yell profanities.

“Mother f—ker! Mother f—ker!” he screamed.

Credit: Stuart Wilson/Getty Images    

The video was reportedly filmed before the May 21 incident that ultimately led to Amber filing for divorce on May 23, 2016.

The Magic Mike XXL star has issued a statement to TMZ saying she did not leak the video and she “underestimated” the emotional impact of the divorce.

Meanwhile, Johnny’s camp claims the video is “heavily edited” and doesn’t tell the whole story.

Unfortunately for the blonde actress, the video will likely not be admissible in court because it’s edited and her estranged husband doesn’t know he was being taped.