Johnny Depp Dubs Amber Heard Trial ‘A Soap Opera’ As He Debuts 1st Directorial Effort In 27 Years

Two years after the defamation trial with Amber Heard, Johnny Depp has described the courtroom drama as a ‘soap opera.’

He made this remark during a press conference at the 2024 San Sebastián International Film Festival in Spain, while discussing his film Modi − Three Days on the Wing of Madness, centered on Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.

‘Every character has their story’ Depp reflected, acknowledging his own experiences.

‘I think we've all faced a lot. Maybe your story didn’t turn into a televised soap opera, but mine did,’ he added. The actor-turned-director emphasized, ‘We all go through our own challenges, and the memories we carry shape us. Those experiences are our stripes; they stay with us forever.’

More about Depp’s directorial ‘Modi’

Set in Paris during World War II, Modi features Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio in the lead role, alongside a cast that includes Antonia Desplat, Al Pacino, and Stephen Graham.

About Depp and Amber Heard

Johnny Depp was married to Amber Heard from 2015 to 2017 and sued her for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post. Although Heard did not name Depp in the article, his legal team argued that it clearly referenced abuse allegations made during their divorce.

After a six-week televised trial in mid-2022, a jury sided with Depp, concluding that Heard had intentionally and maliciously defamed him. However, Heard also achieved a minor victory as the jury partially ruled in favour of her defamation countersuit.

Heard later filed an appeal but withdrew it in late 2022, reaching a settlement. She stated, ‘I finally have an opportunity to emancipate myself from something I attempted to leave over six years ago on terms I can agree to. I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession, and there are no restrictions or gags regarding my voice moving forward.’

The legal battles began after a 2020 U.K. trial where Depp sued the British newspaper The Sun for libel after it labeled him a ‘wife-beater’ in connection with Heard's abuse claims. He lost the case when a judge ruled the article was ‘substantially true’ and that a majority of the alleged assaults had been proven to the civil standard.

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