Fact Check: Is the ACLU suing Johnny Depp? Organization faces backlash online

Johnny Depp has been embroiled in  a tumultuous court case with Amber Heard (Image via Getty Images)
Johnny Depp has been embroiled in a tumultuous court case with Amber Heard (Image via Getty Images)

Everyone seems to have been dragged into the Amber Heard-Johnny Depp scandal. Notable personalities from Elon Musk to Eddie Redmayne have been mentioned or involved in some way. The American Civil Liberties Union is also on the growing list, as it wants $86,000 from Depp for its involvement in the case.

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According to court documents, Heard agreed to pay the ACLU $3.5 million from her divorce settlement with Depp. An ACLU representative testified, however, that Heard only paid a little more than a million dollars of the promised amount. The organization is now demanding that Depp pay for the costs of providing evidence.


Is the ACLU suing Johnny Depp?

The ACLU, according to Depp's attorneys, helped tarnish a prominent donor's credibility with the ambassadorship before engaging in a cover-up when the pledge failed to materialise.

However, Heard stated at the time that all of the funds would be donated by 2018. On the stand in the ongoing trial in Virginia, an ACLU representative testified that Heard only paid $1.3 million of the promised $3.5 million.

Heard only paid the ACLU $350,000. Other contributions in her name total $1.3 million, including $100,000 from Depp, $350,000 from a Fidelity Donor-Advised Fund, and $500,000 from her billionaire ex-boyfriend Elon Musk's Vanguard Donor-Advised Fund.

Heard admitted on the stand that she was yet to make all of the payments but stated that she had every intention of fulfilling her pledge. However, she claimed her plans had been pushed back because Johnny Depp kept dragging her back to court, and her legal fees were exorbitant.

The ACLU was also responsible for assisting the actress in writing her op-ed piece for the Washington Post. The same piece is central to Depp's lawsuit.

However, Heard mentioned being a victim of domestic violence in the article. Despite not mentioning his name, Johnny Depp stated that it was clear she was referring to him. He claimed that because of the story, he was blacklisted in Hollywood.

According to the organisation, they had to review 7,500 documents and eventually turn over 2,000 of them in order to comply with a subpoena. However, the ACLU stated that it had provided Depp with all of the requested documents.


Netizens slam ACLU over reimbursement demand from Johnny Depp

Citizens criticised the ACLU over demanding reimbursement from Johnny Depp.

When the trial resumes on Tuesday, Heard will continue to call witnesses to support her claims that Depp physically, s**ually, and emotionally abused her before launching a vicious smear campaign to debunk those claims as a "hoax."

She countersued him for $100 million, which is twice the amount sought by Depp. The latter claims Heard abused him and that she could be heard on tape taunting him that the courts and the public would not believe his story.


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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul
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