Actor Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, in a $50 million defamation lawsuit, citing a piece she wrote for The Washington Post about domestic abuse. The complaint filed in the Circuit Court of Fairfax, Virginia called Heard's ongoing allegations of domestic abuse by Depp "categorically and demonstrably false." The lawsuit states: "They were part of an elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity for Ms. Heard and advance her career."
The suit also states that Depp, 55, has suffered financial losses because of the accusations, including being dropped from his role as Capt. Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films.
In a statement to People magazine, Heard's attorney Eric M. George called the lawsuit "frivolous" and "just the latest of Johnny Depp's repeated efforts to silence Amber Heard."
Heard first accused Depp of domestic violence in May 2016, the year after they were married. After Heard brought a photo of her with a bruised face to court, a judge ordered Depp to stay away from her.
The couple met on the set of their 2011 film "The Rum Diary." Their divorce was finalized in 2017.
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