Johnny Depp has accused ex-wife Amber Heard of beginning a romantic relationship with Tesla founder Elon Musk “no later than one month after” the two wed in 2015.
The claims come from the 55-year-old actor’s defamation lawsuit against Heard, in which he is seeking AUD $70,623,500 in damages after the Aquaman actress wrote an essay characterising herself as a domestic abuse victim.
In the lawsuit, Depp allegedly claims Heard received “late night” visits from Musk at the couple’s LA penthouse while he was out of the country, People reports. Depp reportedly goes on to claim Musk was granted access to his home the same night Heard “presented her battered face to the public.” His lawsuit alleges Heard’s domestic violence allegations were “false” and “an elaborate hoax.”
Depp is suing for compensatory damages following Heard’s 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post titled, “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.” He is also seeking punitive damages for the “willfulness and maliciousness that Ms Heard demonstrated when she knowingly published the op-ed with the false implication that Mr Depp violently abused her.”
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Depp and Heard split in May 2016, with Musk and Heard beginning their relationship in the same year.
“Elon and Amber didn’t start seeing each other until May 2016, and even then it was infrequent. Their relationship didn’t become romantic until some time later,” a rep for Musk told the publication.
Heard’s attorney, Eric M. George said in a statement, “This frivolous action is just the latest of Johnny Depp’s repeated efforts to silence Amber Heard.”
“She will not be silenced. Mr Depp’s actions prove he is unable to accept the truth of his ongoing abusive behaviour,” the statement continued. “But while he appears hell-bent on achieving self-destruction, we will prevail in defeating this groundless lawsuit and ending the continued vile harassment of my client by Mr Depp and his legal team.”
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In May 2016, Heard filed for a domestic violence restraining order against Depp after she accused him of abusing her. Depp denied the claims, and the former couple settled their divorce out of court in August 2016 for AUD $9,862,300, which she donated to charity. Both actors signed NDAs barring them from discussing their relationship publicly.
Later in 2016, Heard and Musk began a relationship. The two first broke up in August 2017 due to their busy schedules but rekindled their romance in January 2018 only to split for a second time a month later.
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WATCH: Johnny Depp Files Legal Documents Claiming He ‘Never Touched’ Amber Heard.