Johnny Depp and Amber Heard reach divorce settlement

In a contentious legal battle that seemed to last longer than their marriage, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have reached a settlement in their divorce negotiations.

According to reports issued today by TMZ, not only has Amber Heard dismissed her domestic abuse case against Depp, but the divorce case has also been settled. The settlement, which compensates Heard for the 15 month marriage, pays Heard an estimated $7 million dollars, an amount that is likely to leave both parties unhappy.

After the settlement the couple also issued a statement claiming that “Neither party had made false accusations for financial gain.” They added, “There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm” and, “Amber wishes the best for Johnny in the future.”

Heard also added that everything she did was never about the money. In fact, Heard says that she plans to donate the money to charity. Actions some say she plans to take to dispute the fact that she may have lied for financial claim.

Additionally, she says the most important thing to her was to make sure her “credibility was intact” and she believes that the “statements she made adequately suffices to maintain her credibility.”

Why is the Depp/Heard settlement so low?

Johnny Depp is worth an estimated $350 million, leaving some to speculate why the divorce payout was so low. Experts suggest, however, that despite California’s divorce laws that would have allowed Heard to receive half of the community earnings during the marriage, Depp and Heard may have spent a great deal of the money he made, leaving little to split after the marriage.

Reports also indicate that Depp may have been willing to offer a bit more in a lump sum payout to get a clean break from Heard and eliminate the domestic violence allegations. The offer came on the eve of the hearing against Depp for a restraining order. Legal experts also suggest that Depp may have been trying to avoid a deposition which would have created a video or transcript for the case.

After the settlement was offered and accepted, TMZ reports that Heard “withdrew her request for a domestic violence restraining order on Tuesday with prejudice, meaning she cannot refile the case.”

What did the couple say about the case?

Both parties acknowledge the relationship was “intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love.” A video has recently surfaced, however, that some claim does not paint Depp in a “loving” light and may have precipitated the settlement.

Depp has, however, always denied the abuse allegations made by Heard and claims that there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.

Depp has two children from a previous relationship with French model and singer Vanessa.

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