Back in December, J.K. Rowling noted that she’s “genuinely happy” to have Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (a spin-off of her Harry Potter books), despite the allegations that Depp physically abused his ex-wife Amber Heard. Rowling cited Depp and Heard’s divorce settlement, including their agreement to handle future disputes privately, even though that same divorce settlement also specifically stated that neither side admitted to lying about the abuse allegations. Essentially, the settlement said “believe who you want to believe,” and Rowling chose Depp.
Now, in sort of a Trump-esque “you can trust me because this other person trusts me” move, Depp has noted that he has spoken with Rowling and she “knows” that he was “falsely accused.” That came up in an Entertainment Weekly interview, during which Depp explained that he’s suing British tabloid The Sun for running the headline “How can J.K. Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film,” and he supposedly has evidence that proves Heard’s abuse allegations are false. Depp says Rowling “doesn’t take things lightly” and that she wouldn’t stand up for him “if she didn’t know the truth,” but again, that only really means anything if you choose to trust what he says.
Rowling, meanwhile, has indicated that she won’t comment on any of this beyond her initial statement in support of Depp.