Johnny Depp Refusing To Pay ACLU $86k Over Amber Heard Subpoenas
Jun. 2 2022, Published 3:04 p.m. ET
Johnny Depp’s legal team went back to court to fight the ACLU after the organization demanded the actor cough up $90k.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s lawyer objected to the request in New York on Wednesday.
The motion was filed around the same Depp heard a Virginia jury awarded him $15 million in his battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard.
In his filing, Depp scoffed at the ACLU’s request for $86,000 to cover their costs related to a subpoena the actor served it as part of his battle with Heard.
The organization said it spent a “considerable” amount responding to various subpoenas. The execs allegedly had to review 7,500 documents which led to them producing $2,000 documents to Depp.
Further, it argued, “the ACLU produced three witnesses—including its Executive Director—for over sixteen hours of depositions. Along the way, Mr. Depp rejected numerous compromises to minimize the burden and expense on the ACLU and its employees.”
Depp calls the $86k requested “exorbitant and unreasonable.” The Secret Window star said he has no problem paying a reasonable amount but believes the figure needs to be slashed.
A judge has yet to rule.
Depp sued Heard over a 2019 op-ed she wrote in the Washington Post. The title of the article read ‘Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.’
The ACLU helped Heard and her team write the op-ed.
While the actress never named Depp, he said it was clear who she was talking about. He denied ever laying a hand on Heard and sued her for $50 million claiming her lies led to him being blackballed.
As part of his lawsuit, Depp sought records from the ACLU to determine if Heard had followed through with her promise to donate her $7 million divorce settlement.
The actress publicly said she would donate $3.5 million each to the ACLU and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.
Depp didn’t believe Heard donated the money and fired off a subpoena to the ACLU. He demanded they turn over records and answer questions about his ex’s donations.
The actor and the organization went back and forth about records which led to Depp suing the ACLU.
The records turned over showed Heard did not fulfill her pledge to the ACLU. She only paid a total of $1.3 million of the promised $3.5 million.
The organization received $350k from Heard, $100k from Depp for Heard, $500k from a donor-advised fund, and another $3350k from a donor-advised fund. A rep for the ACLU said in court he believed Elon Musk was connected to the $500k payment.
On the stand, Heard said she had every intention of fulfilling her pledge but lacked the funds due to Depp suing her.