It takes a lot for me to doubletake at real estate prices. I used to live in Los Angeles and am aware the housing market has been running wild lately. I also know that celebrities have different needs and expectations than many of the rest of us, but even so, I was a bit rattled by the supposed cost of the home Amber Heard was renting during the Johnny Depp trial. A new report is claiming the property fetched $22,500 a month.
The news comes courtesy of TMZ, who claims they got a hold of the contract. It reportedly didn’t include her name, but the outlet says they spoke with Heard’s alleged neighbors during the trial who said they spotted the actress coming and going alongside her daughter, sister and security detail. That contract was reportedly for $22,500 a month.
So, what does $22,500 a month buy you? Well, the home in question, which is a bit under 30 minutes from the Fairfax County Courthouse, is reportedly a 13,000 square foot mansion. It sits on an acre of land and comes with its own tennis court. The inside reportedly contains a home theater room, as well as a fitness room and spa. There’s no word on how many bathrooms, which is always my favorite stat in giant homes, but as a comparison, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were recently looking at a 20,000 square foot place that had 17.
This monthly price tag is extremely high for most of us, but it wouldn’t ordinarily create headlines among celebrities. Kylie, Kendall And Kris Jenner once allegedly rented a home for $450,000 a month as a shocking comparison, but a focus on Amber Heard’s finances is a lot more pressing in light of her recent loss in court to Johnny Depp. She’s going to appeal the verdict, but as of now, she owes her former spouse over $8M, which her own attorney says she can’t afford to pay.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were married from 2015 to 2017 in what was, by all accounts, a volatile relationship. They’ve been in and out of court since their split. Their most recent, highly publicized trial was over an op-ed she wrote in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic violence. Depp sued for defamation, and the recent televised coverage saw a parade of witnesses come forward, testifying to the inner workings of their personal lives.
Both Depp and Heard also took the stand separately and accused the other of numerous very serious allegations. Drug use and spousal abuse were regular themes throughout the trial, but there was also often a lighter circus-like atmosphere, as the general public watched and argued over topics like who pooped in the bed, what one expert was doing with his mouth and how loudly a witness farted.
The jury ultimately decided mostly in his favor and awarded him $15M in damages, which was automatically reduced to $10.3M because of Virginia laws. The jury mostly ruled against her in her countersuit but ruled in her favor on one defamation count related to statements made by Depp’s former attorney. She was awarded $2,000,000, which is where the $8.3M ultimately comes from.
It’s likely there will be more court proceedings between these two in the future, but exactly what the next steps are right now is unclear. Whenever there is forward progress, expect to see a lot of media coverage, and assumedly, at least one outlet once again trying to figure out how much her rental home costs.
