Former married couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard became officially single again on January 13 after a Los Angeles judge decided on their procrastinated divorce proceedings because of constant requests from both parties.
Apparently, the Los Angeles judge was quoted as saying that he has had enough so if Johnny and Amber want to be divorced, they should just be divorced, reports News.com.au.
The judge also refused further requests from both sides that could have delayed the divorce proceedings.
Depp had earlier wanted Heard to pay a $100,000 sanction claiming she had delayed the proceedings, while Heard had wanted to renegotiate the $7 million settlement and make Depp sit for a deposition.
Both sides are paying their own legal fees. Depp has not paid any installments in his settlement so far, but with the court decision, he is going to start paying.
According to Pierce O’Donnell, Amber Heard’s attorney, the decision was well and good because all Amber wanted was to be divorced and now she is, even saying that her longtime nightmare is over.
Claims of abuse during the marriage
In May last year, news broke out that Amber Heard had filed for divorce from Johnny Depp after 15 months of marriage and days later, she obtained a temporary restraining order against Depp.
She said in court filings that Depp was abusive to her throughout their marriage, culminating in an argument in May in which he threw a mobile phone at her face and broke various objects in her apartment.
Johnny Depp issued a statement a day after the divorce filing saying that given the brevity of the marriage and the most recent and tragic loss of his mother, he will not respond to any of the salacious false stories, gossip, misinformation, and lies about his personal life. He also hoped that the dissolution of the short marriage will be resolved quickly.
The “Magic Mike XXL” actress filed a domestic violence restraining order accompanied by graphic photos of her bruised face on the morning of May 27.
A source said that the bruises are not a rare occurrence, saying that it was not an isolated incident but only the latest incident. Later that day, Amber was seen coming out of court after a judge granted her request for a temporary restraining order, reports Pop Sugar.
Agreeing to divorce
Some three months later, the former couple agreed to settle their divorce. In a joint statement issued on August 16, the estranged couple said that their relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love.
They averred that neither party has made false accusations for financial gains. There was never an intent of physical or emotional harm. Heard also withdrew her request for a domestic violence restraining order with prejudice, which meant that she cannot refile the case.
Heard’s attorney Samantha F. Spector subsequently took back her client’s previous statement about the settlement. She said that the statement is untrue and they retract it, without qualification.
She also added that her assertion that Amber Heard has been vindicated in the court of public opinion is not true. They also expressed regret for the error and apologize to Johnny Depp.
In a statement issued on August 18, Amber Heard revealed that the $7 million that will be her divorce settlement from Johnny Depp would be divided among charities with a particular focus to stop violence against women, including the ACLU and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where she has volunteered for over a decade.
Their divorce hit another snag on December 14 when it was revealed that Johnny still hasn’t donated all of the money he owes Amber.
In legal documents obtained, it appears that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor is not only pushing back against finalizing the agreement, but has violated a court-allotted timeline of requirements that includes the division of personal property, shipping Amber’s belongings from his private island in the Bahamas, transferring a Range Rover into Amber’s name and Johnny’s outstanding debts incurred from cars, Neil Lane jewelry, and stylist fees.
Back then, all Johnny Depp has done is pay the initial $200,000 donation, so Amber and her legal team fought back.
In court documents filed by Johnny’s divorce attorney, Laura Wasser, the actor asked that the court order Amber to pay $100,000 toward his attorneys’ fees and costs. He also wants that amount deducted from his next divorce settlement payment if Amber fails to pay within 10 days of the court’s order.