The ongoing trial between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, which at times has been difficult to watch, is all centred on claims of defamation, with Depp alleging that Heard's Washington Post op-ed (in which she refers to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse") massively impacted his career and earning potential.
In response to Depp's $50 million lawsuit, Heard has launched her own counter-claim for $100 million, saying it is actually her reputation which has suffered after Depp's team described her allegations as 'fake' and a 'sexual violence hoax'.
As part of the trial, Heard's lawyer at one point asked Depp if he would ever consider reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the movie franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean, which it's said he reportedly earned over $300 million from in total.
"The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a Pirates of the Caribbean film? Correct?" Heard's attorney put to Depp, to which he replied: "That is true, Mr. Rottenborn."
It now seems as though this has been confirmed by Pirates of the Caribbean's producer Jerry Bruckheimer too, who recently gave an interview with The Sunday Times about the future of the franchise – and was specifically asked about Depp's possible involvement with it post-trial.
Speaking about the Pirates scripts he's currently working on, Bruckheimer said, "We’re talking to Margot Robbie [about a possible female-fronted film]. We are developing two Pirates scripts — one with her, one without."
And on the topic of Depp, he added, "[He will not be back] not at this point" but added "the future is yet to be decided".
Depp v Heard is set to continue until 27 May. The trial was reportedly due to originally conclude on 19 May but was extended due to there being a significant amount of evidence still to be presented.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
