In the court, order! According to numerous sources, Johnny Depp’s ex-lawyer is divorcing her husband to be with the star.
During his 2020 libel lawsuit against UK newspaper The Sun after they published an article in 2018 accusing the 59-year-old a “wife beater,” Depp was represented by seasoned libel litigator Joelle Rich, according to US Weekly.
Depp lost that particular action, and he appealed the verdict in an attempt to reverse it. The Court of Appeal later dismissed Depp’s appeal.
Rich wasn’t a member of the legal team that defended Depp at his trial in Virginia in 2022 against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, but US Weekly said that she was there to support the Pirates of the Caribbean.
“There was no professional obligation for her being there. It was personal,” a source told the publication.
The couple is reportedly growing quite “serious,” according to a number of unnamed insiders, who also claim that “their chemistry is off the charts” and that they are “the genuine deal.”
Page Six reports that Rich is married, but they are currently separated and going through a divorce. According to US Weekly, the lawyer and her ex-husband have two children together as well.
#JD is *reportedly* in a serious relationship with London-based attorney Joelle Rich, who represented him in his 2020 libel trial against British newspaper The Sun. They are together at the VA trial with a source claiming Rich attended the case to offer 'support'. #CuteCouple! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/nrTC6OaGOQ
— JohnnyRules (@JDs_Best_Life) September 22, 2022
Rich is a partner with the global reputation and privacy consultant law company Schillings and, according to her LinkedIn page, “specializes in assisting people and corporations in the public spotlight preserve their privacy and reputations, usually at times of crisis.”
The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory actor’s romantic rumors about Camille Vasquez, the attorney who helped him in his legal battle with Heard this year, came months after similar rumors circulated.
The 38-year-old has spoken out in public about the rumors, calling them wholly “sexist.” Vasquez said, “I guess it comes with the territory of being a woman just doing her job,” in an interview with People in June.
The lawyer from California went on to say: “It’s upsetting that certain media sources sort of ran with it or claimed that my interactions with Johnny, who is a friend and someone I’ve known and worked for for the past four and a half years, were inappropriate or unprofessional in any manner. It’s discouraging to learn that.”
“I have developed a strong bond with my clientele because I genuinely care about them. However, I mean the entire team, which of course includes Johnny when I say “we.” I’m also Colombian and Cuban. I’m touchy. What exactly should I say, then? I embrace everyone. And I’m not embarrassed by it ” she added.
