Secrets of Hollywood's Most Ill-Suited A-List Couple Revealed — From Crazed Drug Binges and Rehab to Prenup War, Severed Finger and Domestic Violence Accusations
Johnny Depp's inner circle begged him not to marry Amber Heard.
June 18 2025, Published 5:05 p.m. ET
A bombshell new book has exposed the secrets of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's toxic marriage, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
While most couples' wedding day is seen as one of the happiest days in their life, Depp and Heard's big day in February 2015 was marred with concern from friends and family, several of whom pleaded with the Pirates of the Caribbean star to back out while he still had time.
Red Flags
Depp's family and friends recalled begging him to not rush into the marriage.
Authors Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey shared stunning details from the ex-couple's inner circle point of view in their new book, Hollywood Vampires.
The authors worked with Depp and Heard, as well as friends, employees, and witnesses, on a documentary before their book's release. When the project transitioned to a tell-all, Heard reportedly stopped cooperating. Loudenberg and Wholey continued to have access to Depp's team.
While fans are well aware of how unhealthy the union was thanks to Depp and Heard's sensational 2022 defamation trial, claims from those closest to the former couple revealed just how dysfunctional the marriage actually was, including rampant drug use, rehab stints, medical emergencies, and more.
Starting with their wedding day, friends and family raised red flags on the union moving forward.
Depp's Confession
Depp reportedly confessed to being unsure about marrying Heard on their wedding day.
Depp's assistant, Stephen Deuters, confessed hearing about their engagement filled him with "inevitable dread."
Close friend and bodyguard Malcolm Connolly claimed when he asked Depp on his wedding day if he was sure he wanted to marry Heard, the actor confessed: "No man, I don't."
Music producer Bruce Witkin also recalled a conversation with Depp in the studio, during which the movie star explained Heard was pushing for a fast-tracked wedding because they were both about the leave to work on separate films.
He explained: "She wanted to get it over with. (Depp's sister) Christi was there, and we both told him, so what? You don’t have to do it. Don’t do it. We were trying to tell him, don't do this until you get a prenup.
"And Johnny kind of says to Christi, 'Well you tell her.' Christi cried and tried to convince Johnny not to go ahead with it. I tried to convince him too."
Prenup War
Heard insisted she argued for a post-nup but Depp refused.
As for the issue of rushing into marriage without a prenup, Depp's assistant Nathan claimed: "When they were married, Amber would get half of all he'd make on his films. So she wanted to be married before the next Pirates film."
Heard insisted she argued for a post-nup but claimed Depp told her "probably 25 times" they were married until death.
And when vows were exchanged during the shotgun wedding, Depp's mom Betty Sue reportedly shouted: "She don't love him!"
But sources claim signs of trouble were present well before the pair said "I do."
Drug Use
Heard accused Depp of domestic violence fueled by substance abuse during their marriage.
Shortly before Depp's 50th birthday in 2013, he and Heard went to Joshua Tree National Park with a group of friends.
Legal filings from Heard later revealed the group consumed a plethora of alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, and mushrooms, which fueled alleged violent behavior.
Loudenberg and Wholey noted the trip marked the start of "a toxic roundabout of fighting and making up."
Less than a year later, in May 2014, Depp's substance abuse was out of control, and Heard alleged he slapped and kicked her while drunk on a private flight.
Following the incident, Depp agreed to meet with addiction specialist Dr. David Kipper. He then checked into a Bahamas-based detox center in August with Heard by his side.
His sobriety was short-lived, and he soon began using drugs again.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A violent incident during their Australian honeymoon was also detailed.
Jerry Judge, the head of security for Diamond Head estate, reportedly called Depp's bodyguard and said: "Something's happened with the boss, man. You need to extract him. Just extract him, take him out of there."
Connolly recalled stumbling upon a chaotic scene at the estate, with blood splattered on the walls from Depp's severed finger. Heard and Depp then left Australia separately.
The marriage was beyond repair a year later, when Depp's housekeeper discovered "a large pile of feces" on his bed in April 2016.
Heard claimed it was from the dogs, but Depp was convinced she made the mess out of rage over him coming home late from her 30th birthday bash the night before.
One month later, Depp's mother passed away, which was said to spark his decision to end the marriage after 15 months.
