Amber Heard testified that Warner Bros. “didn’t want to include” her in the new Aquaman sequel after Johnny Depp's team accused her of lying about her abuse allegations toward the actor.
For context, Heard confirmed her role as Mera in the DCEU back in March 2016 — shortly before she was granted a restraining order against Depp — and appeared onscreen for the first time in 2017's Justice League movie.
As part of the ongoing defamation trial, Heard said that she was signed on for “a three-picture option" for the franchise (including Justice League) — making $1 million for Aquaman and $2 million for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
However, Heard testified that once Depp's team depicted her abuse allegations as a "hoax," scheduling and “communication” about Aquaman 2 from the studio “stopped at that point.”
"I fought really hard to stay in the movie. They didn't want to include me in the film," she said, adding that she ended up playing a "very pared-down version of the role."
"I was given a script and then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character — without giving any spoilers away — two characters fighting with one another. They basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch out."
Earlier this month, reports emerged that Heard had less than 10 minutes of screentime in the 2023 movie, as petitions for Heard's role to be removed received millions of signatures. Producer Peter Safran previously denied that "fan pressure" would influence casting, saying, “You gotta do what’s best for the movie — we felt that if it’s James Wan and Jason Momoa, it should be Amber Heard. That’s really what it was.”
You can read more about the ongoing trial here.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger as a result of domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, you can call the 24/7 National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or chat with an advocate via the website.