It’s almost hard to believe it, but the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp defamation trial occurred a year ago. Since the public could watch the trial on TV, the discourse surrounding the former couple was almost deafening. The verdict was largely in Depp’s favor, as his ex was found guilty on three counts of defamation and ordered to pay millions of dollars to the Pirates of the Caribbean actor. He actually donated his trial settlement money, and now the charities are speaking out.
While Amber Heard was originally ordered to pay Depp $15 million by the jury, the two actors’ legal teams eventually settled on a smaller sum: $1 million. The 60 year-old actor vowed to donate that money to charities, and TMZ has revealed some of their reactions. A rep from the Make-A-Film Foundation confirmed that they received $200K, and called Johnny Depp “one of the most generous people we've ever worked with.” Make-A-Film is an organization that allows critically and terminally ill children to make short films and documentaries with actors. So the sum of money will be going to the cost of said projects, including equipment.
Another organization that confirmed funds from Depp is called Red Feather. The executive director Joe Seidenberg revealed that their donation will help address housing for the Native American community. A rep for the Amazonia Fund Alliance also spoke to TMZ, and claimed that forthcoming money from Depp will help to preserve the Amazonian ecosystem.
Then there’s Marlon Brando’s charity called Tetiaroa Society, which reportedly received a donation of $200K of Johnny Depp’s defamation winnings. Executive director Frank Murphy offered a quote about the donation, which reads:
Mr. Depp’s generosity is overwhelming and we are honored to be among these amazing organizations that he supports. His contribution will help Tetiaroa Society in its work to protect Tetiaroa, support indigenous voices across the Pacific, and advance ocean-based solutions to climate change.
It certainly seems like Johnny Depp made good on donating the million dollars that he received from the defamation trial opposite Amber Heard to good causes. During their legal battle, his team insisted that he wasn’t out for money, and was solely focused on trying to clear his name.
These reports are sure to turn heads, as they seemingly stand in juxtaposition to another situation involving the former celebrity couple. Amber Heard pledged to donate the money from her divorce settlement to charity, and has gotten backlash for not following through just yet. Although she obviously had an insane amount of legal fees when battling Depp in court. And in September of 2022 it was revealed that Depp himself actually donated money to one of those charities that Heard named.
Professionally, both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard seem to be in the process of finding a comeback. Depp’s first post-trial movie recently premiered, while Heard will be seen in Aquaman 2 on December 20th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
