The ACLU aided Amber Heard in penning the Washington Post essay alleging Johnny Depp of abuse after being promised a large sum of money from her divorce.
Johnny Depp is an American actor and musician regarded as one of the most famous people on the planet.
As the Depp vs. Heard trial nears its conclusion, one legal expert has calculated how much each party has paid for their attorneys during the case.
What Is Johnny Depp ACLU Meaning?
Some have claimed that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) appointed Amber Heard as an ambassador for gender justice and authored an op-ed on her behalf in exchange for her vow to donate money to the ACLU during the current defamation litigation between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard.
She vowed to give the ACLU $3.5 million over ten years in 2016. She accepted the ACLU’s invitation to become an ambassador and collaborate on an op-ed to raise awareness about sexual assault and domestic abuse concerns two years later, in 2018. Amber supported the campaign for gender justice concerns through her ambassadorship, a topic that has been essential to our work since Ruth Bader Ginsburg led the ACLU’s Women’s Rights Project.
The ACLU’s Ambassador Project connects artists, influencers, celebrities, and content creators with the ACLU topics that matter to them, whether fighting for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrants’ rights, racial justice, voting rights, or criminal legal reform. Artist Ambassadors donate their time and talents to help the ACLU promote civil rights and liberties in various ways, including sharing information on social media, appearing in videos, and collaborating on written pieces that spotlight our issues in the media.
Johnny Depp Charged Fine Over Documents
According to Greg Ellis, the ACLU is paying Johnny Depp $86,253.26 for the time he spent compiling and sending paperwork that he was legally required to submit.
Initially, they declined to voluntarily provide these records related to Amber Heard’s defamation action.
The ACLU assisted Amber Heard in writing the Washington Post article accusing Johnny Depp of abuse after the organization was promised a $3.5 million donation from her divorce – though at least $500,000 came from a fund linked to Tesla’s founder Elon Musk, according to jurors in the Depp-Heard defamation trial.
During the Depp v Heard defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on April 27, 2022, Johnny Depp watched a pre-recorded deposition testimony of Christian Carino. According to her representative, Amber dated Elon Musk while attempting to reunite with Johnny Depp.
Terence Dougherty, the chief counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, stated that the organization chose to submit Heard as an ambassador after making a substantial donation over ten years.
ACLU representatives believed she would be an ideal individual to invite to become an ACLU ambassador because she talked with such clarity and competence on problems of gender-based violence.” Dougherty gave his testimony.
However, of the $1.3 million donations that were supposed to come from Heard, $100,000 came directly from her ex-husband Depp, and $500,000 came via a donor-advised fund tied to Musk but listed as a donation from Heard, according to an email from Elon Musk.
The court heard that just $350,000 came from Heard’s accounts, and another $350,000 came from an unidentified donor who the ACLU suspected was also Heard. When donations attributed to Heard stopped in 2019, an ACLU representative told the court that the organization assumed “she was having financial issues.”
How Much Is Johnny Depp Paying?
Johnny Depp has seven lawyers, each of who charges $600 an hour on average. Plus, there’s the support personnel, court bills, travel expenses, etc. Then there’s the six-week trial period. Then add another 24 months for discovery and trial preparation.
“I’d assume Depp’s legal team has spent at least $5.5 million,” Arora said.
Arora feels Heard’s team cost her substantially less because of her smaller legal staff. “I believe Heard has three Virginia-based lawyers.” I’d say $3 million in fees + $200k in experts for her.
Both legal teams used expert witnesses to support their arguments. Heard’s team called physician Richard Moore to the stand during the final week of the trial. He testified that Depp’s renowned finger injury was not caused by a bottle being thrown at him. Depp’s lawyer, Vasquez, said that he was paid $1,000 per hour and $5,000 per day for his evidence.
Johnny has a $100 million net worth. Depp is an unquestionable superstar, with 95 films, music videos, and TV projects under his belt, nearly 40 years as part of the zeitgeist and those cheekbones. His films have grossed a total of $8.7 billion worldwide.