Actors Johnny Depp, Amber Heard finalize bitter divorce

[January 14, 2017]   By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film star Johnny Depp's tumultuous divorce from actress Amber Heard was finalized on Friday, ending the couple's marriage after months of highly publicized claims by Heard of domestic violence and counterclaims from Depp of financial blackmail.

Court papers filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday detailed a splitting of marital assets and an agreement by Depp, 53, to pay a previously announced sum of $7 million to Heard, 30, that she said will be donated to charity.

Heard filed for divorce in May after 15 months of marriage, and days later obtained a temporary restraining order against Depp.

She said in court filings that Depp was abusive to her throughout their marriage, culminating in an argument in May in which he hurled a cell phone into her face and shattered various objects in her apartment.

A lawyer for Depp denied allegations of abuse and argued that Heard was "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse."

"We are all pleased to put this unpleasant chapter in Mr Depp and his family's lives behind them," said Laura Wasser, a lawyer for Depp.

"Having his request for entry of the dissolution judgment granted today made it a particularly lucky Friday the 13th."

As part of the divorce settlement, Heard dismissed her request for a continued restraining order against Depp.

She also dropped her defamation lawsuit against Depp's friend, comedian Doug Stanhope, over an article he had written accusing the actress of blackmailing and manipulating her estranged husband.

The divorce papers showed that Depp would retain sole possession of numerous real estate assets, including properties in Los Angeles, Paris and his private island in the Bahamas. He will also keep more than 40 vehicles and vessels, including vintage cars and his motorcycle collection.

Heard will maintain custody of her dogs Pistol and Boo, the two canines at the center of a scandal in Australia in which Heard pleaded guilty to falsifying travel documents to sneak her pets into the country in 2015 without proper quarantine procedures.

Heard said she would split her $7 million divorce settlement equally between the American Civil Liberties Union and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

Court papers said Depp has paid $200,000 of the settlement so far, and will pay the rest over the course of the year.

The payments will be made from Depp's compensation from his upcoming film "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" and sale of some of his properties, the papers showed.

Heard's attorney, Pierce O'Donnell, hailed the finalization as a "great day" for his client, adding, "All Amber wanted was to be divorced and now she is."

There was no immediate statement from Depp.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Steve Gorman and Mary Milliken)

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