Amber Heard donates $7 million settlement from Johnny Depp to charity

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actress Amber Heard said on Thursday she is donating her $7 million divorce settlement from actor Johnny Depp to charity.

Heard, 30, said in a statement that she is dividing the full settlement equally between the American Civil Liberties Union, specifically to prevent violence against women, and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.

“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,” the actress said.

Depp’s representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Heard and Depp, 53, privately settled their acrimonious divorce case on Tuesday, a day ahead of a court hearing on the status of a restraining order the actress had obtained against her estranged husband.

The couple released a joint statement calling their relationship “intensely passionate and at times volatile but always bound by love,” adding that “there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.”

The settlement ended the couple’s 15-month marriage after weeks of highly publicized claims of domestic violence by Heard and counterclaims of financial blackmailing by Depp.

Depp, one of Hollywood’s top actors and box-office draws with franchises such as “Pirates of the Caribbean,” married Heard, known for “Friday Night Lights,” in February 2015 after meeting on the set of the 2011 film “The Rum Diary.”

Heard will be starring in Warner Bros’ upcoming “Justice League” superhero film, while Depp will reprise his lead role in the next “Pirates of the Caribbean” film.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by David Gregorio)