Earlier this year, the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp defamation trial made countless headlines and took over social media, with people everywhere taking sides. But, even though she was harassed online about not speaking out, Johnny’s daughter, 23-year-old actor Lily-Rose Depp, stayed silent throughout. Now, in a new interview with Elle, Lily-Rose has commented on the legal battle between her father and his ex-wife and explained why she hasn’t been more vocal about it. Read on to see what she had to say.
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Heard and Johnny Depp were involved in a highly publicized jury trial earlier this year after Johnny sued Heard for defamation regarding an op-ed she wrote in 2018 for The Washington Post. In the piece, the Aquaman star described herself as someone who had experienced domestic abuse. Johnny was not named in the article, but he claimed it was clear that Heard was referring to him as her abuser and that it negatively affected his career, as reported by CNN. Heard then countersued Johnny for defamation regarding a claim his legal team made about her abuse claims.
In June, the jury ruled that both actors had defamed each other—Heard in three statements and Johnny in one. Johnny was awarded millions more dollars in damages than Heard. The exes are both attempting to appeal each other’s respective wins, as reported by People.
Johnny welcomed Lily-Rose and her brother, Jack Depp, with his ex, French singer and actor Vanessa Paradis. In an interview with Elle published on Nov. 16, Lily-Rose clarified why she decided not to comment on the trial when it was happening.
“When it’s something that’s so private and so personal that all of a sudden becomes not so personal…I feel really entitled to my secret garden of thoughts,” the Voyagers star said. “I also think that I’m not here to answer for anybody, and I feel like for a lot of my career, people have really wanted to define me by the men in my life, whether that’s my family members or my boyfriends, whatever. And I’m really ready to be defined for the things that I put out there.”
As reported by BuzzFeed, supporters of Johnny posted comments on Lily-Rose’s Instagram account harassing her for not speaking out in support of her father.
One comment reads, “Please support your father. Regardless of YOUR relationship with him you know that Amber is NOT THE VICTIM. Support him please, speak up!!!!” Someone else posted, “Not a single pic of your dad! What kind of human being are u!?” and “After years you will be gone and forgotten and people will only remember you as the daughter of a legendary man.”
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In May 2016, Heard filed for divorce from Johnny, requested a temporary restrained order, and claimed domestic abuse.
At this time, Lily-Rose did make reference to the accusations. In a since-deleted post on Instagram, the then-17-year-old wrote alongside an old photo of herself and Johnny (via ABC News), “My dad is the sweetest most loving person I know, he’s been nothing but a wonderful father to my little brother and I, and everyone who knows him would say the same.”
A couple of months later, Heard withdrew her request for a restraining order, and the former couple released a joint statement that read (via The Guardian), “Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. There was never an intent of physical or emotional harm. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gains.” Heard’s op-ed was published two years after this.