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Arts and Entertainment

Amber Heard Accuses Johnny Depp Of Turning Their Divorce Settlement Into A Tax Write-Off

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Amber Heard and Johnny Depp attend the 'Black Mass' Virgin Atlantic Gala screening during the BFI London Film Festival, at Odeon Leicester Square on October 11, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI)
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Amber Heard is demanding that Johnny Depp double the amount being paid to charity following her divorce settlement. Depp donated directly to her chosen charities rather than giving the money to her first—meaning he'll likely end up with a sizable tax write-off.In case you haven't been following, actress Amber Heard made headlines earlier this month when she announced that she would be donating her entire $7 million divorce settlement from Johnny Depp to charity. In May, Heard had accused Depp of domestic violence charges, and later filed for a restraining order against him. The $7 million settlement came as part of an out-of-court agreement made between the pair, following a series of very messy and public divorce proceedings. Heard announced soon after that she would be splitting the settlement between two charities, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, and the ACLU, with the ACLU money earmarked for work relating to domestic violence victims.

"Amber Heard appreciates Johnny Depp's novel interest in supporting two of her favorite charities...However, if Johnny wishes to change the settlement agreement, we must insist that he honor the full amount by donating $14 million to charity, which, after accounting for his tax deduction, is equal to his $7 million payment obligation to Amber," the actress's representatives said in a statement as quoted by the BBC.

"Anything less would be a transparent attempt by Johnny's counsel, Laura Wasser and Patti Glaser, to reduce their client's true payment by half under the guise of newfound concern for charities that he has never previously supported," they continued.

Weirdly, this isn't even the first time that the Pirates of the Caribbean star has been in the news for tax-related reasons. In 2011, he left France (home to his then-wife, Vanessa Paradis), allegedly to avoid having to pay income tax in the country.

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