Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have settled their divorce.
The former couple - who separated in May after just 15 months of marriage - were due to go to court on Wednesday (17.08.16) to have a judge deal with their divorce and the 30-year-old actress’ request for a permanent restraining order against her estranged husband, who she accused of domestic abuse, but the hearing has now been cancelled after they reached an agreement.
Johnny will pay Amber $7 million and - although it hasn’t been confirmed it was part of the settlement details - she has applied to have her domestic violence case against the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star dismissed.
The couple released a joint statement confirming they had reached an agreement.
It 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.”
After the settlement details were released, Amber’s lawyers Samantha F. Spector and Joseph P. Koenig released a statement saying they were “pleased” with the outcome, adding their client had been “vindicated in the Court of Public Opinion.”
However, Samantha later fully retracted the comments as they were “made without the knowledge or approval of Amber Heard” and apologised to the 53-year-old actor.
She said in a statement: “The statement is untrue and we retract it, without qualification. My assertion that Amber Heard has been vindicated in the court of public opinion is not true.
“We regret the error and apologize to Johnny Depp.”
Sources told ‘Entertainment Tonight’ that Johnny’s legal team had requested the retraction.
Both Amber and Johnny are said to be relieved to have resolved the case without going to trial.
A source told E! News: “Amber was happy to settle because she wanted everything to be over. It’s taken a toll on her, her family and her friends in a very emotional way.
“Johnny did not want to go to trial. Since Amber filed the restraining order, Johnny had hoped things would settle.
“Initially, being the stubborn people they are, they both didn’t want to give in to each other’s requests.”
Amber had alleged Johnny threw a phone at her during an argument and insisted there were other instances where he had been violent towards her, and is said to have been “deeply affected” by her volatile marriage.
The insider added: “For a long time, Amber lived with a lot of hurt and had been deeply affected by Johnny’s behaviour, but chose not to say anything. Whenever something would happen, he’d apologise, and they’d move on. Johnny never wanted the world to know any of this.”
The agreement came just one day after it was claimed Johnny cut off his fingertip in a fit of rage in March 2015 after the couple had a huge argument at a villa in Australia.
It was alleged that during the row, Johnny “smashed several bottles and windows and also slammed a plastic phone against the wall unit”. Amber alleged that one of the items cut his finger.
She reportedly claimed that Johnny then dipped his injured finger in a pot of paint and used it to write words including “Billy Bob” and “Easy Amber” on the wall after accusing her of sleeping with Billy Bob Thornton, which she denied.
She also claimed that he waited for almost 24 hours to get treatment.
It was previously reported that Johnny needed surgery on his hand after punching a wall during an argument with Amber.
The actor flew back to the US from Australia in March 2015 after sustaining the injury while in the country to film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’.
