Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s divorce settlement is wrapping up.
Heard’s lawyer Pierce O’Donnell told Entertainment Tonight that “the parties are in the process of finalizing the settlement agreements and submitting to the court next week.”
O’Donnell added that while Heard and Depp are almost done wrapping up the divorce, both haven’t signed the final document yet.
Johnny Depp will finally pay Amber Heard’s divorce settlement https://t.co/y33ooTGj0M
— The Cut (@TheCut) December 1, 2016
As per Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s divorce settlement agreement, the Magic Mike star will be receiving around $6.8 million, which is the remaining amount in the $7 million they initially agreed upon. Depp donated $200,000 directly to Amber’s preferred charities — the American Civil Liberties Union and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles — in August.
Johnny Depp is expected to pay the settlement money over the next 12 months while Heard will distribute the amount to her chosen charities by the end of 2018, as previously reported by TMZ .
Heard and Depp have had disagreements as to who among them should donate the money to charity. Not long after Amber pledged her settlement to charity, Depp’s representative announced that the Pirates of the Caribbean actor will donate the payments directly to the Children’s Hospital and ACLU on Heard’s behalf.
A member of Amber Heard’s legal team, however, rejected Depp’s payment plan, claiming that the actor was using the donations to get a tax cut.
“If Johnny wishes to change the settlement agreement, we must insist that he honor the full amount by donating $14M to charity, which, after accounting for his tax deduction, is equal to his $7M payment obligation to Amber,” Heard’s rep said in a statement.
“Johnny is obligated by the settlement to pay Amber, and she in turn will honor her pledges to Children’s Hospital and the American Civil Liberties Union,” Heard’s lawyer told PEOPLE . “Amber’s commitment to protecting victims of domestic violence and helping sick children is her life’s work.”
In a previous statement to E! News , Amber Heard explained why she had chosen ACLU and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles as recipients of the divorce settlement money. Heard also donated an additional $350,000 to the ACLU even while she’s still waiting for the payout.
“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,” Heard said. “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 Heard’s request for a temporary restraining order was granted in May after claiming that she was verbally and physically abused by Depp throughout their relationship. She then filed a divorce petition, citing irreconcilable differences. The actress asked for spousal support from Depp, according to legal documents, sparking speculation that she’s all in it for the money.
The former couple got married in February last year after meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011. They initially kept their romance a secret but became more open about it after several months.
“We connect on a lot of levels, but the first things that really got me was she’s an aficionado of the blues,” Depp told E! News at the Los Angeles premiere of Heard’s film, The Danish Girl .
Heard and Depp had been the subject of split rumors in late 2015. In December last year, the actress finally addressed the rumors to Marie Claire .
“I try not to react to the horrible misrepresentation of our lives, but it is strange, and hard,” she said.
Depp and Heard announced their relationship a year after the Edward Scissorhands actor announced his split from previous wife, Vanessa Paradis.
[Featured Image by Joel Ryan/AP Images]
