Johnny Depp has since the conclusion of his contentious defamation trial with former wife Amber Heard in 2022 been focused on both his health and his work, while simultaneously enjoying romantic relations with model Yulia Vlasova.
Us Weekly reports that he may be seeing Joelle Rich.
Joelle Rich
Johnny Depp is in a relationship with Joelle Rich, his lawyer in his libel case against The Sun, as confirmed by Page Six. Rich works for Schillings Law Firm as part of their “individuals and families in public eye protection practice,” per her biography.
Rich was Depp’s London-based attorney during his 2020 U.K. libel suit against The Sun for publishing allegations of wife abuse (Depp’s claims were ultimately disallowed). Although Rich did not form part of Depp’s team for his Virginia defamation trial against Amber Heard, she did attend part of that hearing and attended part of it herself.
Responding to romantic rumors surrounding Depp and Rich, Rich stated in an interview that she would never become involved with personal matters with one of her clients; further highlighting that she is married with children from her former partner.
Legal Expert
Yulia Vlasova and Johnny Depp have reportedly been seen together in multiple photographs, and she’s even been seen at a heliport in London together. Vlasova is a model and former beauty pageant contestant, running her own makeup and hairstyling studio in Prague in addition to dating him. They were even pictured together at an airport!
Kentucky native Depp has been living a peaceful life across the pond ever since he won his defamation case against Heard in June 2022. Following this victory, actress Amber Heard relocated with 3-year-old daughter Oonagh to Madrid with Depp as she provided support during his domestic violence trial. Depp hired attorney Rich to represent him against British tabloid The Sun which described him as a wife beater in an opinion piece Heard wrote about domestic abuse experiences in 2018. At that time, fans attempted to connect Vasquez and Depp but she denied such speculations as well as speculations suggesting Rich and Heard were having an affair together – this led them both acting on legal advice given by Rich in both cases against British tabloid The Sun as well.
Libel Suit
Camille Vasquez has long been linked with actor Johnny Depp; however, the attorney recently disproved such speculation during an interview about working together.
Depp hired this lawyer as part of his legal team for his 2022 defamation trial against Amber Heard, who accused Depp of domestic abuse during their two-year marriage that ended in 2018.
Depp filed suit against The Sun for labelling him a “wife beater,” but ultimately lost in 2020 when the judge found their statements were “substantially true,” and Heard provided testimony supporting their claims.
Depp’s lawsuit against The Sun cost him millions in damages. To win his suit, Depp must show that statements published by The Sun were malicious and published with “reckless disregard for truth”. Libel claims also require proof that someone was hurt by what was said; however statements that serve the public interest cannot be subject to libel claims.
Defamation Trial
After allegations of domestic violence were levied against Johnny Depp in 2018, they ignited a national discussion around men who assault women and how the media are often too quick to dismiss such claims as money-motivated. That dialogue continued in this year’s defamation trial between Heard and Depp in Virginia (televised live so millions could watch every witness), where Depp lost the case but Heard won one of her three defamation countersuits against the actor.
Rich was instrumental in Depp’s unsuccessful 2020 libel suit against UK publication The Sun for labelling him a “wife beater”. She also provided legal representation for Heard in her successful co-written op-ed about domestic abuse published by Ellen Barkin in The Washington Post, co-written with Rich herself. It has been fascinating to witness online support for Depp despite court decisions being rendered; there seem to be many people online cheering him on and believing Heard is lying about what she experienced.
