Johnny Depp, the famous actor known for his roles in Pirates of the Caribbean, Alice in Wonderland, and Fantastic Beasts, has been embroiled in a bitter legal battle with his former wife, Amber Heard, for the past few years. The couple, who met on the set of The Rum Diary in 2009, married in 2015 and divorced in 2017 amid allegations of domestic violence and abuse from both sides.

While the details of their divorce settlement and subsequent lawsuits have been widely reported, one aspect of their marriage that has not received much attention is their extravagant spending habits, especially on alcohol. According to court documents and testimonies, Depp had a monthly liquor expense of about $30,000, which increased by 433% by the end of their marriage due to his wine consumption.

Johnny Depp had a passion for wine and gifted expensive bottles to Amber Heard

Johnny Depp, who has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse, has often expressed his passion for wine in interviews and public appearances. He once said that he had tasted every wine that had been produced since 1943. He also claimed that he had drunk more than 14,000 bottles of wine in his life.

Johnny Depp’s love for wine was also evident in his relationship with Amber Heard, whom he showered with expensive bottles as gifts. According to Ed White, Depp’s former business manager, Heard had an affinity for a $500 wine bottle produced by the Spanish winery Vega Sicilia. Depp reportedly bought five bottles of her favorite wine, along with eight other bottles, for her 30th birthday in 2016.

White also testified that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard racked up a $160,000 tab at Twenty Twenty Wine Merchants, a purveyor in Los Angeles, by the end of their marriage. The decision of who would pay the outstanding bill was part of their lengthy divorce settlement battle.

Depp’s wine bill surged as his marriage with Heard collapsed

While Johnny Depp’s wine spending was already high, it reached new heights as his marriage with Heard deteriorated. According to White, Depp’s wine bill surged by 433% in the last year of their marriage, compared to the previous year. White attributed this increase to Depp’s emotional distress and substance abuse problems.

Depp’s excessive wine consumption also contributed to the tension and violence in their relationship, as Heard alleged in her court filings and statements. She claimed that Depp was verbally and physically abusive toward her throughout their four-year relationship and that he had a problem with substance abuse. She stated that the latest incident was on May 21, 2016, when she says Depp argued with her and hit her in the eye with a cell phone. She submitted as evidence photos of her apparently bruised face and damaged property from their apartment.

Depp denied these allegations and accused Heard of lying and fabricating evidence. He also sued her for defamation over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018, in which she described surviving domestic violence without mentioning Depp by name. Depp claimed that the op-ed damaged his reputation and career, as he was ousted from Fantastic Beasts 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean 6.

Depp and Heard settled their defamation case in 2022

After a long and contentious legal battle, Depp and Heard finally settled their defamation case in 2022. A seven-person jury unanimously ruled in favor of Depp and awarded him $15 million in damages. The jury found that Heard could not substantiate her allegations against Depp and that she knew her claims of abuse were false when she published her op-ed. The jury also determined that Heard acted with actual malice when writing her op-ed.

Heard had countersued Depp for $100 million and said she was only ever violent with Depp in self-defense or defense of her younger sister. Heard’s countersuit centered around three statements made by Depp’s former attorney Adam Waldman in 2020 to the Daily Mail, in which he described Heard’s allegations of abuse as a “hoax.” The jury found that Depp, through Waldman, defamed Heard on one count. The jury awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages, but $0 in punitive damages.

Heard announced on Instagram that she had settled with Depp and agreed to pay him $1 million as part of the settlement. She said that she never chose this and that she defended her truth and in doing so her life as she knew it was destroyed. She also said that she was not admitting anything and that this was not an act of concession.

Depp’s attorneys said in a statement that they were pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Depp, who made clear throughout this process his intent to bring the truth to light. They also said that this was never about the money and that the payment of $1 million reinforces Heard’s acknowledgment of the legal system’s rigorous pursuit for justice.

Depp and Heard have moved on with their lives

Since their divorce and settlement, Depp and Heard have moved on with their lives and careers. Depp is now living in the Bahamas and is directing a biographical drama about Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India. Al Pacino stars as Modi, while Riccardo Scamarcio, Luisa Ranieri, Antonia Desplat, Stephen Graham, Bruno Gouery, Ryan McParland, Benjamin Lavernhe, and Sally Phillips are also part of the cast.

Heard, on the other hand, has moved to Spain with her girlfriend, Bianca Butti, and her daughter, Oonagh Paige, whom she welcomed via surrogate in 2021. She is also working on several projects, including Aquaman 2, The Stand, and Gully.