Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have reached a settlement agreement

Amber Heard will pay Johnny Depp one million dollars to settle their long-running legal battle in which one accused the other of domestic violence. The amount is significantly less than the $8.35 million that Heard was ordered to pay after a six-week trial in Virginia in early 2022. The payment is expected to come from the actress' insurance company.
Depp's lawyers said in a statement that he will donate the money to charity. His attorneys previously said that for Depp, the crux of the matter "was never about the money." "We are pleased to officially close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who has made clear throughout this trial that his priority was to uncover the truth. The unanimous verdict of the jury and the resulting verdict in favor of Mr. Depp against Ms. Heard remain in full force and effect. The payment of one million dollars that Mr. Depp pledges and (actually) donates to charity confirms Ms. Herd's recognition of the end of the legal system's relentless pursuit of justice," Depp's attorneys said in a statement.
Amber Heard's comments on the settlement
In her own statement, Amber Heard said she had "lost faith in the American legal system" and that the settlement agreement would spare her from further litigation and allow her to finally be "emancipated" from their marriage. In a lengthy social media post Monday morning, Dec. 19, 2022, the "Aquaman" star talked about her "very difficult" decision, made with "great deliberation," to settle a defamation suit with her ex-husband. "I am making this decision after losing faith in the American legal system, where my unprotected testimony served as entertainment and social media fuel," Heard wrote, noting that she had "exhausted nearly all of her resources" before and during her trial in Virginia last spring. "Women should not have to face abuse or bankruptcy for telling the truth, but unfortunately, it is not uncommon." Heard also said the agreement provided "an opportunity to free myself from what I tried to leave behind more than six years ago, and on terms I can agree to."