Two days after reaching a divorce settlement with ex-husband Johnny Depp, actress Amber Heard has announced what she intends to do with her payout.
The 30-year-old received $7 million in the settlement, and yesterday she said she’s giving away the lot to two different charities.
She said half of the settlement will go the American Civil Liberties Union, “with a particular focus to stop violence against women,” and to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where she has volunteered for the past 10 years.
Heard first signalled her intentions in a joint statement from the couple after their divorce was granted on Wednesday.
“Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love.
“Neither party has lied nor made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm”.
“Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future Amber will be donating financial proceeds from the divorce to a charity. There will be no further public statements about this matter.”
It’s believed that Heard has now withdrawn allegations that Depp was abusive towards her during their marriage and is no longer seeking a restraining order against her former husband.
https://twitter.com/jojomoyes/status/766536557251616768
Heard’s full statement yesterday reads:
“As described in the restraining order and divorce settlement, money played no role for me personally and never has, except to the extent that I could donate it to charity and, in doing so, hopefully help those less able to defend themselves.
“As reported in the media, the amount received in the divorce was $7 million and $7 million is being donated. This is over and above any funds that I have given away in the past and will continue to give away in the future. The donation will be divided equally between the ACLU, with a particular focus to stop violence against women, and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, where I have worked as a volunteer for the past 10 years alongside organizations like the Art of Elysium.
“Over the years, I have seen firsthand how more funding for staffing, better equipment and better medication can make the difference between life or death for a child. I know these organizations will put the funds to good use and look forward to continuing to support them in the future. Hopefully, this experience results in a positive change in the lives of people who need it the most. – Amber”
Not "in it for the money": Amber Heard has donated $3.5m of divorce settlement to end #ViolenceAgainstWomen. Respect https://t.co/FBrJncqw1a
— Kara Beavis (she/her) (@karsybee) August 19, 2016
The executive director of the ACLU responded by saying:
“We are incredibly grateful that Ms. Heard has so very generously shown her support for the important and necessary advocacy for victims of domestic violence. For years, we have worked through the courts and legislatures around the country to make sure that domestic violence victims are fully protected by the law and receive the government assistance they deserve. We could not be more thankful for Ms. Heard’s support – she can be confident that this gift will help other women live safely and freely.”
Meanwhile,the president and chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said:
“On behalf of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ leadership, staff and the thousands of brave patients and their families who will benefit from this donation, I would like to thank Amber Heard for this tremendous gift. Her generosity will support the lifesaving treatments and cures that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides for critically ill children each year.”
All 7m goes to charity. Good on Amber Heard for being the bigger person, despite the abuse. Johnny Depp do some soul searching…
— Vivian Kelly (@vivkell) August 19, 2016
