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Amber Heard is suing comedian Doug Stanhope for defamation after he wrote an article for The Wrap that accused Heard of falsifying abuse claims against husband Johnny Depp.
On May 21 Heard told authorities that Depp had physically abused her. She filed for divorce two days later. Heard then showed up to court on May 27 with a bruise on her face and asked for a restraining order against Depp. Heard claimed that she'd gotten the bruise after Depp slammed an iPhone against her head. Following these allegations, Depp's friends and family, including his daughter, came out to speak in defense of Depp, saying that the claims did not match with the man they knew, reports Extra.
On May 29 The Wrap published a guest column penned by Stanhope. Stanhope, a friend of Depp's, said that Heard had threatened to blackmail Depp if he refused to comply with her demands during divorce proceedings.
Stanhope said that he and his girlfriend had visited Depp just hours before the alleged May 21 assault. Stanhope said that Depp had seemed distressed, and revealed to Stanhope that "Amber was now going to leave him, threatening to lie about him publicly in any and every possible duplicitous way if he didn't agree to her terms."
"Blackmail is what I would imagine other people might put it, including the manner in which he is now being vilified," Stanhope added.
Today, Heard has filed a lawsuit against Stanhope for defamation and infliction of emotional distress, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Heard also sent a letter to The Wrap through her lawyers, saying that Stanhope's allegations were "unequivocally false." She added, "It is highly offensive and disturbing that you would choose to publish it in the first place." Heard demanded that the article be removed, but it is still up.
In the lawsuit against Stanhope, Heard's lawyers say that Stanhope made the blackmail claims to "divert public attention away from the true facts regarding Depp." It also says that "Depp repeatedly abused Heard" and that "Heard gave Depp numerous chances to get and stay sober and change his violent behavior."
The full complaint can be found here.
