Johnny Depp trial: Petition to axe Amber Heard from Aquaman sequel exceeds 4 million signatures

A petition to get Amber Heard removed fromAquaman has racked up another million signatures.

In 2020, an online petition was started calling for the actor, who plays Mera in the DC franchise, to be dropped from the forthcoming sequel.

However, since Johnny Depp’s trial against her began last month, the petition began gaining further traction online. By 3 May, it had received three million signatures and, as of writing on 17 May, that number was close to 4.5 million.

On Monday (16 May), Heard returned to the stand in the defamation trial brought against her by ex-husband Depp. The Pirates of the Caribbean star is suing Heard for $50m (£40.9m) over a 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post.

Depp alleges that Heard’s claims impacted his ability to work, despite the fact she didn’t name him.

Heard previously condemned the campaign to have her removed from the film and denied that the outcome of the Depp libel case had any impact on her own franchise.

“Paid rumours and paid campaigns on social media don’t dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality,” Heard said in a statement. “Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I’m excited to get started next year.”

However, on Monday (16 May). Heard confirmed rumours that her situation with Depp had impacted her role in the film.

Aquaman 2, titled Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, completed shooting in January, and is set to be released in March 2023.

Speaking in court, the actor said: “I fought really hard to stay in the movie. They didn’t want to include me in the film.”

The Independent has contacted Heard’s representative and director James Wan for comment.

The first Aquaman film, starring Jason Momoa, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Patrick Wilson, was released in 2018.

Follow live updates from the trial here.