Amber Heard is to give her $7m divorce settlement from Johnny Depp to a charity that supports victims of domestic violence and a children’s hospital.

Heard wrote in a statement released on Thursday that the entire settlement would be split between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, with the ACLU’s share of $3.5m going specifically towards its efforts to combat violence against women.

She and Depp settled their contentious divorce on Tuesday, one day before the actors were scheduled to begin a restraining order hearing that would center on Heard’s allegations Depp repeatedly abused her during their marriage.

Depp denied he abused Heard, and his attorney alleged she was making the domestic violence allegations to obtain a more favorable settlement.

Court filings show Heard had initially requested $50,000 a month in spousal support, which was denied by the judge.

“As described in the restraining order and divorce settlement, money played no role for me personally and never has, except to the extent that I could donate it to charity and, in doing so, hopefully help those less able to defend themselves,” Heard wrote.

She added that she planned to support the organizations with future donations.

The executive director of the ACLU, Anthony Romero, issued a statement thanking Heard for her generous support and said she could feel “confident that this gift will help other women live safely and freely”.

Thanks to Amber Heard for generously donating to the ACLU!



More on our work supporting domestic violence survivors: https://t.co/YROq5HBCNV — ACLU National (@ACLU) August 19, 2016

After Heard filed for divorce in May, many of Depp’s famous friends rallied publicly in his support, with the comedian Doug Stanhope accusing Heard of blackmail and the director Terry Gilliam stating she was a “better actress than [he] thought”.

In the joint statement announcing the statement released on Tuesday, the former couple acknowledged volatility in their relationship, which began after they met on the set of the 2011 film The Rum Diary.

“Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love,” the actors’ statement said. “Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.”

It said that Heard would be donating the proceeds from the divorce to a charity but did not specify that it was to be one supporting victims of domestic violence.

Even in the wake of the settlement, there continues to be back-and-forth between each party’s representatives over how the split is portrayed in public.

ABC News’s report of the announcement was amended to retract a statement made by Heard’s lawyers, Samantha F Spector and Joseph P Koenig, that she had been “vindicated in the court of public opinion”.

In a subsequent statement, Spector said that assertion was made without Heard’s knowledge or approval and was untrue: “We regret the error and apologize to Johnny Depp.”

Heard filed for divorce in May and days later obtained a temporary restraining order, accusing the Pirates of the Caribbean star of hitting her during a fight in their Los Angeles apartment in May.

Heard, who came to court with a bruise on her right cheek below the eye, accused Depp of repeatedly hitting her and throwing a cellphone during the fight.

Police said they responded to the actors’ apartment but found no evidence of a crime.

The case has received significant media coverage, propelled by photos, images and even text messages purportedly relating to alleged abuse being leaked to the media.