Warner Bros. Pictures Movie

Warner Bros. is reportedly considering about replacing the actress in the 'Aquaman' sequel after people launched petition to remove her from the movie amid her ongoing legal drama with ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Feb 6, 2020

AceShowbiz - Amber Heard's ongoing legal drama with her ex-husband Johnny Depp may cost her an acting gig. The actress, who starred as Mera a.k.a. Aquaman's love interest in the 2018 movie, may lose the role in the upcoming sequel.

Words are Warner Bros. is actively discussing about possibly replacing the 33-year-old star in "Aquaman 2". While there's still no final decision on the matter, several execs at the studio want to recast the role of Mera due to the bad press surrounding Heard and the huge number of fans who are now turning against her, We Got This Covered reports.

Heard has been embroiled in a legal drama with her former husband Depp, whom she accused of domestic violence during their marriage. Depp paid Heard a settlement of US$7 million, which she donated to the ACLU and the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Later in 2019, Depp sued Heard for defamation after she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in which she made a claim about being a victim of domestic abuse and alluded to allegations she made against Depp in their explosive 2016 divorce.

Recently, a leaked audio recording surfaced from one of the couple's therapy sessions, in which the "Machete Kills" actress admitted to hitting the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor. "I'm sorry that I didn't, uh, uh, hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you. Babe, you're not punched," she can be heard saying in the audio. "I don't know what the motion of my actual hand was, but you're fine, I did not hurt you, I did not punch you, I was hitting you."

Following the leak of the audio, people demanded "Justice for Johnny Depp" and launched a petition on Change.org, requesting the removal of the actress from "Aquaman 2". More than 190,000 people have signed the petition.

Previously, WB was also considering to replace Depp in the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise due to the domestic abuse allegations against him by Heard. The studio, however, made the controversial decision to keep him for the 2018 sequel, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald".