Whenever a couple goes to court, especially a celebrity couple, there are no winners. Case in point: Johnny Depp was asked to leave the FANTASTIC BEASTS franchise in the wake of a court case regarding his branding as a "wife-beater." While photographic evidence was shared that showed bruises Depp supposedly gave his former partner Amber Heard, many have called her out for dishonesty in her accusations. While the court of public opinion is not binding, a vocal contingent is taking matters into their own hands.
According to LADBible, a petition has surfaced that demands Heard be removed from AQUAMAN 2. The actress, who played Jason Momoa's love interest Mera, is set to return in the follow-up to James Wan's 2018 DC Comics hit. While so far the decision to fire Amber Heard has not been mentioned, the petition currently sits at a million signatures. How long can Warner Bros not acknowledge this?
In the absence of any legal results against Heard, WB may not make any hasty decisions. This may strike some as a double standard considering the guilty verdict against Depp was not a direct confirmation of abusive behavior but rather libel in calling him a name in a newspaper headline, but you never can tell what will be the point at which a studio decides enough is enough and doesn't want to risk negative attention on such an expensive production.
Obviously, superhero films are no stranger to behind-the-scenes drama. If you need evidence of that, you need to look no further than Ray Fisher's allegations of misconduct on the set of Joss Whedon's JUSTICE LEAGUE. When Fisher's comments originally came to light, the Cyborg actor claimed that he endured "gross and abusive" conduct while on the set of Whedon's film. Following Fisher's allegations, Aquaman star Jason Momoa stepped in to back the words of his JL co-star. It's a lot to digest, so be sure to click the jump for all the details.
For now, time will tell if Warner Bros. will address the outcry over Heard remaining a part of James Wan's Aquaman sequel.