Johnny Depp Sparks Controversy Dating Lawyer Who Worked On Amber Heard Trial

Johnny Depp recently began dating attorney Joelle Rich. And the single-and-ready-to-mingle actor and his new girlfriend sparked controversy for several reasons. For instance, Rich met Depp when she worked on his U.K. trial against Amber Heard. And Joelle also currently is married. 

Find out everything to know about Johnny Depp and Joelle Rich’s new relationship. And discover why their dating controversy involves the actor’s superstar attorney, Camille Vasquez. Get all the details below.

Johnny Depp – Dates Attorney Joelle Rich After Amber Heard Trial

Joelle Rich, a lawyer who worked on Johnny Depp’s U.K. libel case, has begun dating the actor, an insider told People. “But it’s not serious,” clarified the source. Based in London, Rich sought to help Depp with his libel case against the Sun newspaper. However, Johnny lost in that trial in November 2020.

The actor, 59, had sued the newspaper for describing him as a “wife-beater” based on his ex-wife Amber Heard’s statements. But the court believed Heard’s allegations. As a result, the court upheld the newspaper’s description as “substantially true.” Depp then tried to overturn that decision in March 2021, but failed.

However, this year saw Johnny returning to a courtroom in a new defamation case against Amber, 36. Held in Virginia, the trial focused on Heard’s 2018 Washington Post op-ed about domestic violence. And the jury ruled in favor of Depp, awarding him more than $10 million in damages. Joelle did not work on Depp’s legal team in Virginia. However, she did appear in the courtroom to show her support for Johnny. 

Johnny Depp’s – Attorney Camille Vasquez Calls Dating A Client ‘Unethical’

Depp’s attorney for the trial in Virginia, Camille Vasquez, and Joelle hugged inside the courtroom when Johnny won. And Rich also got photographed with Depp outside the courtroom. But ironically, rumors then swirled that Camille and Johnny had begun dating.

And at the time, Depp’s lawyer Vasquez denied those rumors and called them “sexist.” But she also contended that rumors of a romance between attorney and client came “with the territory of being a woman just doing her job.” And Camille called the gossip that she had begun dating Johnny offensive because she viewed a romance with a client as “inappropriate or unprofessional,” noted E News.  Referring to the romance rumors, Vasquez felt disappointed. And she warned that dating a client represented “an unethical charge.”

As a result, Depp now dating Rich sparked a controversy. For instance, one Twitter critic questioned, “Isn’t that a conflict of interest?” But others expressed disappointment that Johnny had not begun a romance with his superstar attorney Camille Vasquez. For example, another asked, “No Camille?”

Joelle Rich – Married But Divorcing Husband Amid Johnny Depp Romance

And a backlash also resulted from a report that Joelle is married, per TMZ. However, Joelle reportedly has begun going through the process of divorcing her husband. The allegedly estranged spouses co-parent two children.

But the controversy seemed to focus more on the fact that Rich represented Depp than her marital status. And some critics recalled Camille Vasquez’s view that a lawyer dating a client represented an unethical situation. For instance, Rich could still view Depp as a client if he might hire her for more work later, noted several Reddit commentators.

Tell us what you think. How did you react to learning that Johnny Depp has begun dating his lawyer from his U.K. trial? And after you share your views, check back on our site for more celebrity news.

Editorial credit: RoidRanger / Shutterstock.com