By Gavin Mackintosh-
Amber Heard could face a police probe in relation to claims of perjury, legal experts have said, after the star admitted not giving $3.5million from her divorce settlement with Johnny Depp to charity . She had falsely told the High Court she had
Depp is suing Heard for $50m over an op-ed she wrote which he claims inferred he physically and sexually abused her during their marriage from 2015-2017. Heard is counter suing for $100m.
Perjury is a statutory offence which carries a potential jail sentence, though not many cases of perjury are pursued in the courts.
In this case, Johnny Depp’s lawyers are exploring every trick in the book to send her to jail.
In 2018, Heard also told Dutch talkshow RTL Late Night that: “$7million in total was donated – I split it between the ACLU and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. I wanted nothing.”
After the couple divorced in 2016, Ms Heard said she would split the £5.5million ($7million) settlement between the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
There have also been claims that Amber Heard attacked her sister, Whitney Henriquez, and forced her to commit perjury (lie) whilst taking the stand during Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against The Sun in the UK.
Whitney Henriquez is due to take the stand this week in Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard in Fairfax, Virginia, but the claims about lies in relation to donation is one that could be problematic for troubled Ms Heard, whose focus is mainly to win her theatrical and globalised defamation trial.
Giving evidence in their libel trial on Monday, Heard admitted she has yet to make the full donation ‘because Johnny sued me for $50million in March of 2019.’
This despite the actress having claimed on several occasions, including under oath at their UK High Court libel case, that she had. The revelation could present a twist in this saga.
Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez also argued yesterday that Heard had the money for months before the lawsuit, yet failed to donate the money as she promised.
The disclosure has led to accusations that Heard misled the public when talking about the donations on talk shows and may have lied under oath.
The ACLU earlier confirmed in evidence that $1.3m had been donated by Heard or on her behalf and that, of that money, Heard contributed $350,000 directly.
Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez, claimed on Monday that Heard had the money for months before the lawsuit, yet failed to honour her pledge.
Heard could face serious legal consequences, if its concluded that she misled the public.
Sean Caulfield, partner at law firm Hodge, Jones and Allen, told MailOnline that Heard could face a perjury probe in the UK as misleading a court “cuts to the core of our justice system”.
He told the publisher that he believes police may investigate the matter, saying: “While it may not be a central issue to the case [the donations], perjury is the single biggest threat and cuts to the core of our justice system, so the police may be invited to investigate to show that any member of the public who lies to the court can be prosecuted for perjury.”
Amber Heard is still being investigated for perjury in Australia at the same time as having to deal with the Johnny Depp defamation trial.
This all has to do with the whole smuggling dogs into Australia fiasco, adding further to her psychological headache, all in the full glare of the public.