After a high “profile” start, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s divorce could end up swept under the rug before anyone knows it.
E! News reports multiple sources have said the estranged couple’s split may be settled without much further complications or delay, especially given that Amber never spoke during her deposition last week.
A hearing about allegations Johnny abused Amber during their relationship has been rescheduled for Aug. 17. Meanwhile, Amber’s lawyers have told the court she’s unable to get to Los Angeles since she’s now in London shooting “Justice League.”
Explaining how a deposition works in terms of a settlement, attorney Mitch Karpf told E! He’s not surprised things have dragged on a bit in Amber and Johnny’s case. A deposition is “one of the first times that everybody is together in the same room,” he says. “Once we’re all together we’re in a position where perhaps we can talk about some of the issues and maybe settle the case. Often times when you reschedule the deposition, you’re making progress behind the scenes.”
If both Amber and Johnny avoid the hearing on Aug. 17, one if not both of them stands to save some money, E! Points out. Shorter time in court would mean fewer legal bills. And perhaps more importantly, the actress stands to benefit from a settlement for more than financial reasons.
“If her motives are pure and clean, the last thing she really wants is to castigate him in the public arena,” says Mitch. “She’s made her point, she settles it and moves on. Like any other crime victim, they have to choose between resurfacing all of this [and settling].”
According to TMZ, Amber did not speak during the deposition scheduled for her; her lawyers later said “there was nothing preventing Johnny’s counsel from commencing the deposition” while Amber waited for 10 hours.
Amber filed for divorce from Johnny in May, citing “irreconcilable differences.” She later claimed Johnny had attacked her and appeared in court with bruises on her face.
The pair married in February 2015 after meeting on the set of “The Rum Diaries.”