Johnny Depp allegedly tried to have his ex-wife Amber Heard replaced on Aquaman after their relationship ended.
According to reports, Depp wrote to his sister, producer Christi Dembrowski, about Heard’s role in the blockbuster film.
“I want her replaced on the WB film,” he wrote to Dembrowski, who had a deal with Warner Bros. and held sway at the studio at that time.
The message comes to light in Justice Andrew Nicol’s 132-page ruling against Depp in his libel lawsuit against The Sun’s publisher, to which the actor lost.
During the trial, Depp admitted that he was referring to the 2018 film, where Heard went on to star as Mera, Aquaman’s love interest in the movie.
Representatives for both Depp and Heard had been contacted for a comment.
The report comes just several days after a petition calling for Heard’s removal from the Aquaman sequel received over 1.5 million signatures.
The petition, which aims to reach a total of 3 million signatures, has been set up by fans who claim that Heard “has systematically crusaded to ruin Depp in Hollywood.”
It also alleged that Heard “created false accounts of him being the abuser”, and demands both Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment to remove Heard from the production.
In November, Heard shut down rumors that she was being replaced from the upcoming sequel.
“I’m super excited about the amount of fan love and the amount of fan appreciation that Aquaman has acquired and that it has garnered so much excitement for Aquaman and Mera that it means we’ll be coming back,” she said in an interview.
“I’m so excited to film that.”
“Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media” regarding her role in the sequel “don’t dictate [casting decisions because they have no basis in reality,” she said.
“Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen.”