ACLU Says Amber Heard’s Domestic Violence Op-Ed Aimed to Capitalize on ‘Aquaman’ Press
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe general counsel of the ACLU testified on Thursday that Amber Heard’s op-ed in the Washington Post about domestic violence was timed to capitalize on the release of “Aquaman.”The op-ed alluded to Heard’s allegations against ex-husband Johnny Depp, though Depp was not named.
Depp is now suing Heard for defamation, claiming that the op-ed destroyed his career and cost him a sixth installment in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.The American Civil Liberties Union was involved in conceiving, drafting and placing the op-ed, which used Heard’s experiences to address issues including the Violence Against Women Act and sexual assault on college campuses.
At the trial on Thursday, Depp’s attorneys played a video deposition of Terence Dougherty, the ACLU’s general counsel. Dougherty was asked about a Dec.
11, 2018, email from Jessica Weitz, the ACLU’s director of artist engagement, in which she wrote about the timing of the piece. “The goal is to get this out this week to capitalize on the tremendous campaign for ‘Aquaman,'” Weitz wrote.“Aquaman” — in which Heard starred as Mera — was due to be released on Dec.
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