A new way to love. Johnny DeppDating lawyer Joelle RichHe was represented by, who represented him in the U.K. libel suit againstThe Sun, Us WeeklyOnly you can confirm.
“Their chemistry is off the charts,” an insider exclusively tells UseYou can find the Pirates of the CaribbeanStar, 59, with the attorney. “It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”
Rich was one of the lawyers who worked on Depp’s case against the U.K. newspaper after he sued the outlet for libel in 2018, but she was not part of the legal team who represented him in his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heardearlier in the year. She was, however, present in the Virginia courtroom to show her “support” for the Oscar nominee.
“There was no professional obligation for her being there. It was personal,” the source tells Us, adding that the duo “discreetly” met up in hotels during the early stages of their romance.
Insiders say Rich was married to Depp when she met him, but that she is now divorcing her husband. She and her ex-spouse share two children.
Rumours circulated that Heard, 36 was in a relationship with a different lawyer during his defamation trial. Camille Vasquez, who was one the attorneys representing him in that matter. The Southwestern Law School graduate, 38, later slammed “sexist” speculation about her relationship with Depp.
“It’s also an unethical charge being made,” Vasquez told PeopleIn June. “It’s unfortunate and it’s disappointing, but at the same time it kind of comes with the territory. I can’t say I was all that surprised.”
Depp and Heard’s marriage, which ended in 2017, was the subject of two separate lawsuits filed by the Secret Window actor. Kentucky native. The Sun in June 2018 after the newspaper referred to him as a “wife beater” in an article about his involvement in theFantastic BeastsFilm series. The article mentioned Heard’s previous allegations of abuse that she had made prior to her 2016 split with Depp.
After delays caused by the coronavirus epidemic, the trial began in July 2020. Four months later, the U.K.’s High Court of Justice ruled thatThe Sun‘s article was not libelous because the Aquaman star’s claims about her ex-husband’s alleged abuse were “substantially true.”
In March 2021, the court denied Depp’s request for an appeal in the case. Rich said that Rich had told Rich at the time. Deadline that she “seriously questioned” the U.K. judge’s decision, adding that her client was looking forward to “presenting the complete, irrefutable evidence of the truth in the U.S. libel case against Ms. Heard where she will have to provide full disclosure.”
Three years after Depp sued Heard for an op-ed that she wrote in 2018, the U.S. trial began. The Washington PostIn which she said that she was a victim to domestic violence. The jury ruled in favor the victim of domestic violence in June. Edward ScissorhandsActor, who ordered the Texas native to pay her husband $10.35 million in damages. Heard was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damages after the jury found that one of Depp’s lawyers had made one defamatory statement about her.
“From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” Depp told UsIn a statement following the verdict’s delivery. “Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”
Rich and Depp representatives were not available for comment.
