Johnny Depp has filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, actor Amber Heard, for accusing him of domestic violence.

Depp’s lawsuit said he "never abused Heard" and the claims are "part of an elaborate hoax" to advance his ex-wife's career. It also claims that Depp had lost his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean due to Heard's allegations.

In an article published in The Washington Post in December, Heard described her alleged experience with domestic violence without explicitly naming Depp, stating she "faced our culture's wrath".