Meet The Married Lawyer Johnny Depp Is Dating After Working Together On His UK Libel Lawsuit
Sparks are flying.
Dennis Makarenko/ Shutterstock.com Johnny Depp is dating Joelle Rich, a lawyer who represented him in his U.K libel lawsuit against popular publication The Sun, according to a source.
A source tells Us Weekly the two are in a “serious” romance after they started “discreetly” dating during Depp's recent defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.
“Their chemistry is off the charts,” the source said. “It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”
Who is Joelle Rich?
Rich is a partner at Schillings, a law firm based in London. In her profile on the firm's website, Rich is said to have led a legal team "on a recent high-profile libel claim."
“Joelle helps individuals and families in the public eye protect their privacy and reputations, both in and outside of the court room,” reads her biography.
“Often acting for her clients in times of crisis, Joelle works to defend their reputations against false and defamatory allegations in print, online, and on social media."
Rich was one of the lawyers who worked on Depp’s 2018 case against the U.K. newspaper after he sued the outlet over an article that branded him a "wife beater."
She was not on the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" star's legal team in his high-profile 2022 defamation trial against Heard over claims she made about being a victim of domestic violence in a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post.
Joelle Rich and Johnny Depp's legal team lost their libel lawsuit in 2020.
In November 2020, a judge ruled that the publication’s claims were “substantially true." The judge also found that 12 of the 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence had occurred.
According to Us Weekly, Rich did appear in the Virginia courtroom where Depp battled Heard earlier this year.
“There was no professional obligation for her being there. It was personal,” the source said, adding that the two “discreetly” met up in hotels during the early stages of their romance.
Joelle Rich is married, but separated, and has two children.
The source notes that Rich was married to her husband, with whom she shares two children, when she first met Depp but is now getting a divorce.
Depp also has two children of his own, Lily-Rose and Jack, from his relationship with Vanessa Paradis.
Johnny Depp was previously rumored to be dating another member of his legal team.
During the defamation case against Heard, rumors spread that Depp was dating his legal representative Camille Vasquez.
Vasquez went on to shut down the rumors.
"It's disappointing that certain outlets kind of ran with it or said that my interactions with Johnny — who is a friend and I've known and represented for four-and-a-half years now — that my interactions in any way were inappropriate or unprofessional,” Vasquez said in an interview with People.
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Victoria Soliz is a writer with YourTango who covers news and entertainment content. Her work explores pop culture trends, film and TV, and celebrity news.