Johnny Depp has fewer friends today than he did three years ago amid his public legal battle against Amber Heard. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor’s reputation among Hollywood peers and his public image were collateral damage during the 2022 defamation trial he and his ex-wife sat through for six weeks.
The “Aquaman” starlet penned an op-ed for the Washington Post speaking “up against sexual violence” in 2018. Two years prior, in 2016, she filed for divorce and sought a restraining order against her ex. She never mentioned Depp in the essay, but claimed she was blacklisted for “representing domestic violence” after the split.
The actor filed his $50 million suit in 2019 alleging that he was implicated as the abuser and that her commentary cost him jobs, like the sixth installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
In a new interview for the Sunday Times, Depp, 62, admitted to feeling betrayed by individuals close to him amid the publicized case. Among those people was a longtime agent. He told the outlet that despite his quirky nature, he has unwavering loyalty. It’s something he said that can always be “trusted.”
Depp explained that loyalty was a one-way street, though, that not even money could buy him. “I was with one agent for 30 years, but she spoke in court about how difficult I was. That’s death by confetti, these fake motherf—kers who lie to you, celebrate you, say all sorts of horror behind your back, yet keep the money — that confetti machine going — because what do they want? Dough.”
Furthermore, the “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” star shared, “I’ll tell you what hurts. There are people, and I’m thinking of three, who did me dirty. Those people were at my kids’ parties. Throwing them in the air. And, look, I understand people who could not stand up [for me], because the most frightening thing to them was making the right choice.”
The timing of Johnny Depp’s statement on Amber Heard is not an accident. pic.twitter.com/18ixWLry8h
— David K. 🇺🇦 (@AandcDavid) June 23, 2025
The takeaway for one reader was that “Johnny found out who his true friends are.” “Loyalty is one thing but neither Depp nor anyone should expect people to lie under oath to protect them,” someone else typed.
A third person suggested the actor could seek vengeance. They wrote, “Do a movie pretending to destroy them. That will teach them a good lesson.” A fourth person, though, expressed empathy. The said, “He’s right, real friends stand by through tough times. Hollywood seems more cutthroat, fake with backstabbing greedy liars”.
The fact that Amber Heard still lives rent-free in Johnny Depp’s head in 2025. He done fucked up. pic.twitter.com/CZDrs1xPDA
— Jay (@Jay_3085) June 23, 2025
Depp and Heard were married for two years. Their divorce was finalized in 2018 with a $7 million settlement. The scorned lovers’ 2019 judicial melee — his suit and her countersuit — ended with the actress receiving $2 million and Depp $10 million in compensatory damages. The Hollywood veteran was also awarded $5 million in punitive damages. After multiple appeals following the verdicts, the two sides resolved their dispute in 2022 with a settlement calling for Heard to pay Depp $1 million.
