Translation:
Grazia: Depp is doing everything possible to protect his privacy and assets, valued at $400 million. Depp’s attorneys asked the Judge to issue an order to compel Heard to sign a “confidentiality agreement” before handing over the personal and financial information necessary to establish the terms of the divorce. It does not seem that the couple had a prenuptial contract where it was already established what would happen in the event of the end of the relationship.
“When the parties are celebrities from the world of business, it is common for them to sign confidentiality agreements including language ‘to not disclose damaging information’ in order to protect the image of the parties,” says Los Angeles lawyer Neal Hersh, who specializes in high-profile divorce cases (he has also represented the likes of Kim Basinger against Alec Baldwin and Denise Richards against Charlie Sheen).
“What are the assets that Depp has to protect? A point to be clarified between the parties is how much money the actor made for the 15-month duration of the marriage, because his wife would be entitled to half of the net of expenses, according to California law. Depp would have earned $30 million in those 15 months, thanks to the recently-released: “Alice Through the Looking Glass. Depp could argue that the movie is part of a series conceived before marriage and then deny that its proceeds are community property.” Hersh added.
Grazia: Surely those assets are distinct from the community property that Johnny began to liquidate after the start of divorce proceedings: a building complex on the French Riviera, offered for sale for $55 million, and the collection of eight paintings by the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, estimated to be worth $100 million, already sold at a Christie’s auction. Why does Depp need this cash? Quite possibly to have enough cash to buy the silence of Heard on the more disturbing details of their relationship?
Hersh adds: “I guess we’ll never know the details of what happened, because it is improbable that the divorce will go to court. The parties are certainly discussing and negotiating to reach an agreement to avoid the spectacle of a battle in the courts and the public.”