Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s marriage was short-lived.
After the pair parted ways, there were constant lawsuits against each other that resulted in a high-profile trial.
Depp has since moved on romantically, as he is reported to be dating someone who was often present during the said trial.
Johnny Depp was previously married to Amber Heard. The two had a private wedding, but they had a high-profile divorce involving several counter-lawsuits.
The renowned Hollywood actors walked down the aisle in February 2015 and were married for over a year before Heard filed for divorce in May 2016.
By August 2016, he agreed to a $7 million divorce settlement which Heard pledged to charity, including $500,000 toward her legal fees. The former couple’s divorce was finalized in January 2017.
Depp Finds New Love Years after Divorce from Heard
Both Heard and Depp have since moved on with their lives. In September 2022, reports revealed he was in a relationship with Joelle Rich, a lawyer who represented him in his UK libel lawsuit against The Sun in 2018.
Rich was not part of the legal team representing him in his defamation case against his ex-wife, but she was present in the Virginia courtroom for moral “support,” said a source.
The insider revealed that the attorney was not on duty during the trial and that her presence was only for personal reasons. According to the source, Rich and Depp low-key met up in hotels during the early stages of their relationship.
Rich was married when she met Depp but later filed for divorce from her husband. The source further divulged details of the rumored couple’s newfound romance, saying:
“Their chemistry is off the charts. It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”
Still, there were conflicting reports about the seriousness of the duo’s romance. While one insider claimed they were in a “serious” relationship, another disclosed “it’s not serious.”
Two months after these claims, in November 2022, there were rumors that Depp and Rich were no longer dating. But that same month, another source claimed the two were “still together.”
The insider stated the lovebirds were stunned by the claims that they had parted ways, adding that things had remained the same. They reportedly relish the time they spend together.
Depp and Rich often arrived at the High Court together during his trial against his former spouse, where Justice Nicol was presented evidence of 14 alleged assaults against Heard.
When news of their relationship made rounds, fans could not help but share their thoughts online. Although it came as a surprise for some, others noted there were signs that Depp and Rich were an item.
One YouTube user who followed the trial wrote, “I picked it up right away. I watched the trial from beginning to end; when I saw Joelle walk in front and put JD’s glasses on the table, I knew there was more to this.”
“She also brought the snacks for Johnny, the famous candy, and also his flavored waters. She carried his things and handed them to Camille or set them on the desk where Johnny was going to sit,” another penned.
Someone else commented that she saw Rich step out of the car with Depp and wondered who she was, thinking it was his assistant, adding, “They played it very cool.” After noticing that she sat behind the movie star’s team of lawyers in the courtroom, she believed she was a “consultant lawyer.”
Another individual stated she wondered who Rich was and did not know her name or what she did for a living. “But had an inkling she was a ‘woman of interest’ to Johnny,” said the fan. Someone else concurred after seeing her smiling at the cameras while entering the courtroom with Depp, adding, “He doesn’t usually go for her type.”
“[…] Omg. I’m happy for him. She is a lucky lady,” another person commented. One social media figured the two had been dating for quite some time, “Good for him.”
Rich’s Successful Law Career — She Reveals Her Career High
Although Depp is an A-list showbiz star with immense success, Rich is also a successful litigator. She is a partner at the London law firm Schillings Partners.
The British native assists individuals, global businesses, and families in the public eye to preserve their privacy and reputation, both in and outside the courtroom.
Rich defends her clients against false and defamatory allegations online, in print, and on social media. She possesses more than ten years of experience in media law.
With her wealth of expertise in privacy and copyright disputes, including libel, she can spot risks to clients’ privacy and reputation and offer strategies to protect them.
According to the firm’s website, Rich has been recognized by Spears Wealth Management for Best Reputation and Privacy Lawyers for High-Net-Worth Individuals in 2023.
She previously represented Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, in a case filed against the British tabloid Mail on Sunday which published a hand-written letter that she had penned to her father, Thomas Markle. The royal won the case.
In a December 2021 interview, Rich reflected on her law career and divulged at which point in her journey she realized she had reached the peak, and she stated it was the Markle case:
“My 2020, despite Covid restrictions, was a definite career high. I was working simultaneously on this case, hailed as the biggest privacy case in decades, and the Johnny Depp trial, which was a (now rare) libel trial.”
Per her LinkedIn profile, Rich, who worked as a Trainee Solicitor for three years, attended North London Collegiate School and studied Law at the University of Birmingham.
She later enrolled in a Legal Practice course majoring in Media and Entertainment, Intellectual Property and Commercial, and Private Acquisitions at BPP Law School.
Rich married her university sweetheart Jonathan Rich in an extravagant ceremony in Tuscany in 2011, attended by 290 guests. The couple had met eight years prior and share two children. Her now-estranged spouse works as a director for the Bluebox Corporate Finance Group.
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