Amber Heard will donate the entirety of her $7 million divorce settlement to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, according to a statement the actress released on Thursday.
In a joint statement Heard and Depp released after settling their divorce earlier this week, they wrote that “Amber will be donating financial proceeds from the divorce to a charity.” On Thursday, the actress, who until Tuesday was pursuing a domestic violence restraining order against Depp, specified that her gift to the ACLU will be earmarked for programs that support survivors of domestic violence. The children’s hospital is close to her heart, too; Vanity Fair reports that she’s volunteered there for a decade.
This is an extraordinary power move from Heard. Since she first came forward with abuse allegations against Depp, she’s fought both implicit and explicit accusations of making it all up to get his money, even after she dropped her request for temporary spousal support to focus on proving Depp’s alleged history of physical abuse. Though Heard has appeared in a few big-name films—including, most recently, The Danish Girl—she is by no means a superstar. A payout of $7 million is couch change for Depp, but almost certainly not for Heard. Donating it all immediately is Heard’s big middle finger to her doubters at places like TMZ, which repeatedly cast suspicion on her claims while giving Depp the benefit of the doubt right up until the end of their saga.
It may also be a moment of vicarious vindication for survivors of domestic violence. Heard’s allegations against Depp were never evaluated in court. But even as a symbolic gesture, turning an allegedly abusive relationship into a big-time donation shifts the balance of power into Heard’s hands. “For years, we have worked through the courts and legislatures around the country to make sure that domestic violence victims are fully protected by the law and receive the government assistance they deserve,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero in response to Heard’s gift. “We could not be more thankful for Ms. Heard’s support—she can be confident that this gift will help other women live safely and freely.”
Heard could have slunk away with her $7 million, building a beautiful life for herself and trying to forget her acrimonious and allegedly violent split with Depp. Instead, she’s using the product of these painful past few months of press scrutiny to help other women overcome the legal barriers she’s faced. Even without a court conviction for Depp or a verdict on a restraining order, Heard took the tools at her disposal and built her own version of redemption.
