Amber Heard’s current net worth stands at a meager estimation of $500,000, highlighting her shift from Hollywood fame to downfall after legal battles.
In the past few years, Amber Heard has become more synonymous with activism and high-profile legal battles, than appearing in Hollywood blockbusters. Although she has been in the entertainment industry for quite some time, she’s now famously known as the estranged ex-wife of Johnny Depp and holds the title of mother to her daughter Oonagh Paige.
But amid her divorce from the Sweeney Todd star and traumatic defamation lawsuit, it’s Amber Heard’s lifestyle and her decision to quit Hollywood to settle in Spain that caught people’s attention. Especially with a meager net worth of $500,000 as of 2024, Heard’s decision to start her life afresh in Spain and await the birth of her second child has raised some eyebrows.
Amber Heard’s Net Worth as of 2024
Known for her performance in films like Aquaman, The Danish Girl, and The Rum Diary, Amber Heard has also marked a career in television roles and modeling. Further, known for her involvement in activism, especially regarding LGBTQ rights, Heard has also made headlines following her notorious legal battle with her ex-husband Johnny Depp.
In recent years, although Heard has gained a bit of infamy, thanks to her defamation trial against Depp, the actress once rubbed shoulders with Hollywood’s A-listers including Jason Momoa, Eddie Redmayne, Channing Tatum, and Jesse Eisenberg. Therefore, when wondering about Heard’s net worth, it seems natural for people to start counting in millions.
But surprisingly, the actress who was once estimated to have around $2.5M net worth somewhere around 2020, came down to a meager and unbelievable $500,000 net worth as of 2024 (via Celebrity Net Worth). Let’s check out how the actress went from being a millionaire to surviving off of her hundred thousand bank balance.
Amber Heard’s Early Life and Rise to Fame
Born on April 22nd, 1986, Amber Laura Heard grew up in a suburb of Austin, Texas, learning how to ride horses, hunt, and fish. Further, attending Catholic high school, Heard got her career’s start in local beauty pageants as a teen. However, considering the religious surroundings in Texas, the actress had to drop out of school at 17 and move to New York City to pursue her dreams (via WPSetting Box).
Meanwhile, after initially finding work as a model in New York, Heard developed a desire for acting and therefore moved to Los Angeles to start her acting career with appearances in music videos. As per Parade, one of Heard’s first acting roles was in Kenny Chesney’s video for There Goes My Life in 2003.
There onwards, Heard managed to bag TV roles as Liz in the pilot episode of Jack & Bobby, followed by her role as Maria in the movie Friday Night Lights, Shay in Side FX, and Riley in The Mountain. In 2005, she appeared as a salesgirl on The O.C., while simultaneously continuing her appearances in music videos.
In 2006, the actress found her big break, following her appearance in Alpha Dog alongside A-listers Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, and Sharon Stone. Thereafter, she appeared as Trish in Price to Pay and even guest-starred in an episode of Criminal Minds. Soon, she found her major role in the short-lived TV series Hidden Palms and got her breakout role in Seth Rogen’s Pineapple Express.
Thereafter, her appearance in Zombieland in 2009 led her towards her career and life-changing role alongside Johnny Depp in the 2011 movie The Rum Diary. Ever since then, Heard not only found her soulmate in Depp but also witnessed significant career growth, with the actress appearing in blockbuster movies like Aquaman and Oscar-winning movies like The Danish Girl.
Salaries and Promotional Incomes of Amber Heard
Meanwhile, considering the years of modeling and acting that went into Amber Heard’s career, the celebrity had evidently bagged millions of dollars in salary and earned enough from promotions and commercials. Therefore, as per Hot New HipHop, the actress has witnessed significant financial milestones, following her commendable $10M in total pre-tax income between 2013 and 2019.
Further, in 2019, she bagged around $3M, marking it her highest-earning year. Meanwhile, considering her association with Johnny Depp and her contract with Warner Brothers helped her bag a 4-picture deal, with her role in the first Aquaman installment fetching her $1M. Given how well the first Aquaman movie did at theaters, the sequel guaranteed her $2M, with potential earnings of $3M-$4M for the third installment.
Additionally, her appearance on the series The Stand earned her $200,000 per episode, totaling a payday of $1.8M. Not to mention, the actress has also earned a significant amount from her endorsements, advertising, and public appearances. In 2018, Heard started working as a spokesperson for L’Oréal Paris and ended up earning a $1.625M two-year contract, for merely giving 20 days of her time.
Amber Heard’s Divorce and Trial Against Johnny Depp
But while things were going smoothly for Amber Heard, her divorce from Johnny Depp in 2016 marked the first nail in the coffin. After tying the knot in 2015, in a small ceremony, as the actress filed for divorce, obtained a restraining order against Depp, and alleged that she had been the victim of domestic abuse, things took a sharp turn for heard.
As per Celebrity Net Worth, although Depp denied all accusations, the settlement went in favor of Heard, allowing her to receive a $7M settlement from her former husband. Thereafter things went downhill for the star as she pledged to donate the settlement to charity, while Depp claimed that she had been lying about her goodwill.
In 2021, Johnny Depp’s lawyers learned how the Children’s Hospital had only received $100,000 out of the promised $3.5M, and the ACLU had received a total of $1.3M out of the pledged $3.5M. Further, nastier secrets came to the limelight as ACLU’s April 2022 court testimony revealed that Heard had merely provided $350,000 out of the total $1.3M, while $100,000 came from Depp and $500,000 actually came from Elon Musk (via DailyMail).
Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard Defamation Lawsuit and Verdict
Meanwhile, amid the controversies surrounding Heard’s donation to charity, Depp filed a lawsuit in the UK, in 2018, against the publishers of The Sun, for referring to him as a “wife beater”, based on the actress’ accusations of domestic violence (via Vanity Fair). This marked the beginning of the Depp vs. Heard defamation trial, as the actor later accused his ex-wife of defaming him publicly in 2019 in Virginia.
While Depp lost an appeal in his UK trial, the actor went full rogue in his Virginia lawsuit and sought a settlement of $50M as a direct response to an op-ed Heard had written for The Washington Post in December 2018 (via NBC News). Although the actress had refrained from using his name, Depp believed that his ex-wife was heavily implying it was him.
In addition to his demands, Johnny Depp made a bombshell revelation about himself being the victim of domestic abuse in the span of his year-long marriage with Heard. According to his court testimony, Depp accused the actress of punching him, kicking, throwing objects, and even defecating on his bed. Soon, his legal team published all evidence of his allegations and cornered Heard in the legal battle.
As the actress’ attempts to dismiss the case were denied, she counter-sued Depp in August 2020, with their trial commencing on April 11, 2022. After 2 months of intense battle in the court, the jury in the Virginia case found in favor of Depp on June 1, 2022. This ruling called for Amber Heard to pay a total of $15M in defamation damages—$5M in punitive damages and $10M in compensatory damages.
However, as per NPR reports, due to Virginia’s punitive damage cap, the $5M punitive damages judgment was immediately reduced to $350,000. Additionally, Heard was awarded $2M in partial liabilities. Therefore, in the end, the actress owed roughly $8.35M in damages to her ex-husband. Prior to the verdict, it was estimated that she had around $2.5M net worth.
Therefore, as per Variety, considering how Heard’s bank balance couldn’t afford the judgment and given how it wasn’t completely covered by insurance, the actress agreed to pay Depp a significantly reduced settlement of $1M. This agreement was announced in December 2022 wherein the Fantastic Beasts actor promised to donate the money to several charities.
Amber Heard’s Demand for Spousal Support
Amid their divorce settlement and infamous defamation trial, Amber Heard had apparently filed for spousal support in 2016, after separating from Johnny Depp. Although this matter was expected to be kept “out of the spotlight” during the 2022 defamation lawsuit, it eventually appeared after Heard reportedly asked for $50,000/month from Depp to cover various expenses.
Previously Heard’s spousal support included using Depp’s Range Rover while continuing to live in three of his LA penthouse apartments alongside receiving $125,000 for legal and accounting expenses. But later on, as the actress reportedly sought an increment, the agreement about spousal support went into court documents.
As per the document obtained by Style, Heard’s expenses included costs like $10,000 for rent, $2,000 a month for eating out, and $10,000 for pet supplies and legal costs. She later backed up her demand for $50,000 by claiming that she was earning very little, including $27,000 in royalties from various films.
But surprisingly, court documents revealed that while Amber Heard had earned $250,000 from her various endeavors in 2014, she had spent almost $210,000, which left her with a net income of only $40,000 for the year. Later on, Heard submitted bank documents showing that her savings only amounted to $25,000 at the time. Ultimately, this breakdown of her spending led Heard to withdraw her request for spousal support.
Amber Heard’s Current Life in Spain as a Single Mother
Now, after the divorce and defamation trial left Amber Heard almost penniless, with merely $500,000 net worth, the actress decided to quit Hollywood and settle in Spain. Therefore, selling off her home in Yucca Valley, California in July 2022 for $1.05M, which she previously bought for $570,000 in July 2019, Heard ventured to a new country to start afresh with her daughter.
Sources close to Heard told People,
She couldn’t wait to leave the U.S. with her daughter. [Heard] has been living in Spain, where she gets more privacy. The trial was beyond stressful for her and she just wanted to start fresh out of the country.
She is excited about working and filming again. She was exhausted and disappointed about the trial. She felt she was mistreated. This is all behind her now, though. She has new energy and is focused on things that she loves.
According to reports, while Heard’s first daughter Oonagh Paige was born in April 2021, through surrogacy, the actress was said to have moved to Spain with her toddler. And now, as of December 2024, sources close to Heard reported to People that the actress is expecting her second child. Although it’s “still quite early in the pregnancy”, insiders mentioned that the star is excited for her new bundle of joy.
