Movie About the Heard vs. Depp Trial to Come

The Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp domestic abuse case took the internet by storm last spring, with much of the trial being recorded for the public eye. Though most people didn’t watch the dozens of hours of footage, one word can be used to describe the situation–messy.

The drama and alleged abuse between the couple started long ago, though, in 2016 when the court granted Heard a temporary restraining order against her then-husband. During that year she also filed for divorce and accused him of abuse. Depp denied all allegations, and said she was “attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse.”

Eventually, $7 million was given to Heard and according to People, she donated it all to a childrens’ hospital. The following year, in 2017, their divorce was finalized. In 2018, Amber Heard released a piece for The Washington Post saying she was abused: “I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.”

The next year, her ex-husband sued her for $50 million, stating that she was not a victim of abuse, but was a perpetrator, therefore defaming Depp. His name was not brought up in Heard’s op-ed, but Depp and his team believe there was enough detail to conclude it was about him. 

This case took place in London, and two times afterwards the court denied Depp’s request to appeal the case. All of this brings us to 2022–when their $100 million case took place in Virginia. Again, Depp’s defamation was brought up, and Heard decided to countersue him for refusing to move the case to California. 

Heard’s lawyers’ opening statement for this case was that Depp had plans to ‘humiliate’ her. A forensic psychologist determined that Heard was suffering from PTSD after their relationship. Meanwhile, Depp testified that she defecated on his bed and threw a vodka bottle at him, amongst other things.

Multiple other sources spoke for both parties, but the infamous 2022 case ultimately ended with Depp being awarded $15 million, while Heard lost most of her claims and was awarded $2 million. While surely tumultuous for the celebrities, it provided entertainment for millions of people worldwide and stirred much controversy.

Now, Tubi has plans to release a dramatized film about the case: Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial. It is set to premiere on the platform for free on September 30th. The trailer is officially out, which showcases some details of both sides of the trial. It may bring some clarity to viewers about what happened, but at the very least is sure to once again make the celebrity (ex) couple a hot topic in entertainment news.