Charities praise Johnny Depp for donating $1 million settlement: 'One of the most generous people we've ever worked with'

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By Phoebe Egoroff

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Charities have praised Johnny Depp for donating $1 million from his defamation settlement against Amber Heard, saying he was one of the "most generous people".

On Tuesday, it was reported that Depp has chosen a total of five charities to donate the large amount from the settlement he is owed by his ex-wife Amber Heard.

The charities include the Make-A-Film Foundation, The Painted Turtle, Red Feather, Marlon Brando's Tetiaroa Society charity, and the Amazonia Fund Alliance, per The Hollywood Reporter.

It is thought that the Pirates of the Caribbean will donate $200,000 to each of the five charities.

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Johnny Depp has kept his promise to donate his court settlement to charity. Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty

One of the charities, the Make-A-Film Foundation, was especially grateful for the money. A rep for the organization told TMZ that Depp was "one of the most generous people we've ever worked with." Make-A-Film gives critically and terminally ill children the chance to make short films and documentaries with actors.

The outlet details that each film costs the foundation between $25,000 and $35,000, while documentaries can range from $3,000 to $5,000 - meaning Depp's donation will be able to go directly to production costs for things like equipment, props, hair and makeup, and insurance.

Depp, 60, has had a tumultuous few years in the spotlight, when he and Heard were embroiled in a much-publicized court battle last year after Depp brought the defamation case against Heard, 37, over a 2018 op-ed she had written about being the victim of domestic abuse. Although Heard did not name Depp in the article, his legal team claimed it falsely accused the Pirates of the Caribbean star of being an abuser.

The pair had initially faced off in court in the UK, where the case was decided in Heard's favor, but went head to head again in the US last year, with the trial being live-streamed daily, and Depp emerged victorious with a unanimous decision from the jury.

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Amber Heard and Johnny Depp battled it out in court after Depp accused her of defaming him. Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty

Following the six-week trial, Depp was awarded $15 million in total, made up of $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

The pair both launched appeals in the following months but settled the case in December 2022, with both of them dropping their appeals.

Heard said at the time that even if her appeal had been successful, she "simply cannot go through" another public retrial, adding that her settlement was "not an act of concession".

The settlement involved Heard paying $1 million to Depp, which was covered by her insurance, with the actor pledging to donate the money he received to charity - a promise he has clearly made sure to keep.

Featured image credit: Ron Sachs/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty