Johnny Depp Allegedly Off The Market, Dating His Married Lawyer!
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on September 22, 2022 at 11:45 AM EDT
Johnny Depp, 59, is officially off the market!
Inside sources are confirming the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor is now dating his married lawyer, Joelle Rich, from Depp's U.K. lawsuit against The Sun. Depp sued the newspaper over a 2018 article in which they called him a "wife beater" -- in reference to his marriage to his ex-wife, Amber Heard, 35.
Although two years have passed since Depp's U.K. lawsuit, it seems the spark between Rich and Depp has stayed lit as sources confirm the two are dating.
Johnny Depp's New Girlfriend, Joelle Rich
Love is in the air for the 59-year-old actor as he is exploring a new relationship with lawyer, Joelle Rich. “Their chemistry is off the charts,” an insider told US Magazine. “It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”
Although Rich was not part of Depp's legal team for his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard earlier this year, she did represent him in his case against the U.K. newspaper, The Sun, after he sued the outlet for libel in 2018. At the time, the lawyer was married, but she is now divorcing her husband.
Joelle Rich and Johnny Depp remained close friends over the years, even showing up to the Virginia courtroom during Depp's defamation trial against Heard to show her support. “There was no professional obligation for her being there. It was personal,” the source said.
Although many viewers and fans of Depp believed the "Edward Scissorhands" actor had something going on with his lawyer, Camille Vasquez, there was nothing between the two aside from a professional relationship. In fact, Vasquez said the speculation was “sexist”, although she was not surprised.
“It’s also an unethical charge being made,” Vasquez told People in June. “It’s unfortunate and it’s disappointing, but at the same time it kind of comes with the territory. I can’t say I was all that surprised.”
Rich, on the other hand, clearly has a deeper connection with Depp as the two are now dating. In fact, the source confirms Depp and Rich “discreetly” met up in hotel rooms during the early stages of their romance to keep it out of the public eye.
Johnny Depp's U.K. Trial vs U.S. Trial
Although Depp's trial in the U.K. was unsuccessful -- a judge ruled that The Sun was correct in reporting that Depp was violent towards Heard three months after the trial began -- his trial in the United States against ex-wife, Amber Heard, was a win. The jury found Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp by publicly accusing him of domestic abuse, and found that Depp proved Heard lied about her allegations.
Johnny Depp's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, explained why the U.S. case was a win and the U.K. case was not when speaking to the "Today Show", saying, "It was a different process. And also, Mr. Depp, and Ms. Heard, in this case, were the parties."
"They had different disclosure obligations...and the overwhelming evidence that was presented in this case in Virginia far exceeded what was presented in the UK. And we believe the jury got it right," she continued.
