A petition calling for Amber Heard to be removed from the upcoming DC movie Aquaman 2 has surpassed 3 million signatures.
Heard is the defendant in a blockbuster defamation lawsuit filed by ex-husband Johnny Depp, who is suing her for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which Heard claimed she’d been domestically abused, VT reports.
But the Change.org petition alleges that Heard domestically abused Depp, citing claims that have come to light during the trial.
“Johnny Depp describes many incidents of domestic abuse that he suffered at the hands of his (then) wife Amber Heard, including one incident where she punched him twice in the face and another where she shattered his finger with a vodka bottle, and his finger had to be surgically reattached. He will bear the scar from that for the rest of his life.”
The petition was authored by Jeanne Larson and addresses DC Entertainment and Courtney Simmons, the SVP for Publicity & Communications for DC Warner Bros. It previously reached 1.6 million signatures in 2020 after Depp was booted from the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts, but has seen a resurgence in popularity amid the trial.
Heard is set to appear in Aquaman 2 as Mera, the love interest of star Jason Momoa’s titular character.
“Men are victims of domestic abuse, just like women. This must be recognized, and action must be taken to prevent a known abuser from being celebrated within the entertainment industry,” the petition continues. “Do the right thing. Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2.”
While Depp wasn’t named in the op-ed, he was dropped from several big-budget movies around the time of its publication, including Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts. However, Heard’s defense has presented evidence that Depp was cut from the Pirates franchise before the op-ed was published in 2018, per Deadline.
“I would be a real simpleton to not think that there was an effect on my career based on Ms. Heard’s words, whether they mentioned my name or not,” Depp said in the trial proceedings, per Time.
Many have rallied behind Depp in the case, particularly as evidence has been made public. One audio clip making the rounds seems to depict Heard taunting Depp after he accuses her of throwing a can of mineral water at his face.
“Tell the world, Johnny. Tell them…I, Johnny Depp, a man, I’m a victim too of domestic violence”
“Yes,” Depp interjects, before Heard continues, “See how many believe or side with you.”
Heard’s attorneys recently presented evidence that paints Depp as a violent substance abuser. During cross-examination, Depp confirmed texting his friend, [L]et’s drown her before we burn her,’ and “I will fuck her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead,” Fox LA reports.
Depp claimed that the texts were merely an expression of his “dark humor.”
“If you’re writing, there is no set place that you have to stay in, you can travel.” he said. “And sometimes pain has to be dealt with with humor—and sometimes dark, very dark humor.”
Depp’s legal team has also called medical personnel who treated him for substance abuse. They claim that they witnessed arguments between the couple, but no physical abuse.
Heard is expected to take the stand in coming weeks. Heard’s legal team may potentially call on other witness with whom she’s had relationships, including Elon Musk and James Franco.