Amber Heard's Net Worth In 2024 From 'Aquaman' and More—and How Much the Johnny Depp Trial Cost Her

Amber Heard's net worth in 2024 is likely somewhat on the rise, especially since her divorce from ex Johnny Depp and her deeply traumatic defamation lawsuit are both over.

When the couple first split in 2016, Heard accused Depp of domestic violence and filed a restraining order against the actor. Depp later sued The Sun and its parent publisher for libel for calling him a "wifebeater," which he lost, and the Pirates of the Caribbean star was denied an appeal in the case.

Depp then sued Heard for $50 million for defamation stemming from a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in which she never names Depp but describes the public consequences she faced as a survivor of alleged sexual violence. Heard countersued for $100 million, alleging that Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman defamed her when he said her domestic violence allegations were a "hoax."

On June 1, 2022, Depp and Heard's highly publicized trial finally ended.

In the verdict, Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages in his defamation claim against Heard. Heard was awarded $2 million for one of her three defamation claims against Depp.

While Heard initially filed to appeal the decision, in December 2022, she announced that she reached a settlement with Depp, largely because of the financial setbacks she suffered as a result of the trial.

While praising the outcome of Depp's defamation suit against The Sun in the U.K.—in which she was not a defendant, but a witness, contrary to many memes and TikTok talking heads' beliefs—Heard pointed out the difference in permissible evidence, as well as sensitivity to survivors, in the U.S. trial, in which she was both a defendant and plaintiff in her countersuit against Depp.

"I exhausted almost all my resources in advance of and during a trial in which I was subject to a courtroom in which abundant, direct evidence that corroborated my testimony was excluded and in which popularity and power mattered more than reason and due process," she wrote in part. "In the interim I was exposed to a type of humiliation that I simply cannot re-live."

She added, "For too many years I have been caged in an arduous and expensive legal process, which has shown itself unable to protect me and my right to free speech. I cannot afford to risk an impossible bill—one that is not just financial but also psychological, physical and emotional. Women shouldn’t have to face abuse or bankruptcy for speaking her truth, but unfortunately it is not uncommon."

Find out Amber Heard's net worth in 2024, how much Amber Heard got from Johnny Depp and how much Amber Heard gave to charity.

Related: What Is Financial Abuse?

How did Amber Heard become famous?

Growing up in a suburb of Austin, Texas, Heard got her start in local beauty pageants, though she's since come out against the pageant industry, which she says commodifies "objectification." As an atheist with the acting bug, she dropped out of high school (eventually earning her GED) to leave what she called "God-fearin' Texas" to pursue show business full-time when she was still in her teens.

One of Heard's first acting roles was in Kenny Chesney's video for "There Goes My Life" in 2003. Check it out below—she appears in the very beginning and again around the three-minute mark:

Her first TV role was as Liz in the pilot episode of Jack & Bobby, followed by the bit part of Maria in the movie Friday Night Lights, Shay in SideFX and as Riley in The Mountain. In 2005, she appeared as a salesgirl on The O.C. and in the Eisley music video for "I Wasn't Prepared." The same year, Heard starred as young Josey in North Country and as Candy in Drop Dead Sexy.

In 2006, Heard appeared in Alpha Dog alongside A-listers Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde and Sharon Stone, as well as Trish in Price to Pay and a guest role in an episode of Criminal Minds. She also had her first starring role in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane as the thriller's title character.

She had more small roles in 2007, as well as a major role in the short-lived TV series Hidden Palms as Greta and a guest role in an episode of Californication. Heard would have a bit of a breakout year in 2008 thanks to the success of Pineapple Express, in which she appears as Seth Rogen's much-younger love interest Angie Anderson, and The Informers, in which she had a starring role as Christie. See her in Pineapple Express below, but beware of NSFW language!

Other than a small role in Zombieland in 2009, Heard wouldn't have another breakout role until The Rum Diary premiered in 2011.

Related: What Is Johnny Depp’s Net Worth? What He Made for Pirates of the Caribbean and More

What is Amber Heard's net worth in 2024?

Amber Heard's net worth in 2024 is estimated at about $500,000, which is significantly lower than the several million dollars she had prior to the defamation settlement. Her income comes predominantly from her acting, as well as endorsements with beauty and jewelry brands. However, much of what would have been Heard's accumulated wealth has been tied up in various lawsuits and settlements (and the legal fees that come with them), including from her court battles with ex-husband Johnny Depp and a lawsuit over the critically and commercially failing film London Fields.

Heard has admitted to having "financial difficulties," specifically in relation to her pledged donations to the ACLU and Children's Hospital Los Angeles from her $7 million divorce settlement from Depp.

In addition, Heard spends the majority of what she earns. Court documents from Heard and Depp's divorce proceedings revealed that at that point, she spent more than $43,000 every single month, including $10,000 a month towards her rent; $3,000 for healthcare costs; $2,000 on clothing and $10,000 for vacations and entertainment.

Since Heard's public feuding and litigation with Depp began, Heard alleged that her work was severely impacted. 

After the trial ended, Heard sold her home in Yucca Valley, California, for $1.05 million and moved to Spain. She reportedly paid about $570,000 for the property in 2019. She's also since starred in indie film In the Fire, but as of January 2023 doesn't have any upcoming projects on her IMDb.

Related: Emerald Mine Owner Nepo Baby Elon Musk's Net Worth

How much did Amber Heard make in Aquaman?

While testifying in court against Depp, Heard revealed that she was paid $1 million to star as Mera in Aquaman, plus unspecified box office bonuses. The movie was a massive success, especially in China, and grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, so depending on the size and scope of her bonuses, she likely made at minimum another five-figure sum thanks to the film's performance in theaters.

Related: Jason Momoa's Net Worth From Aquaman, Justice League, Game of Thrones and More

How much did Amber Heard make for Aquaman 2?

During her testimony, Heard stated that she was paid $2 million upfront for the upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and may receive box office bonuses for that as well.

However, Heard alleged that the drama between her and Depp caused Warner Bros. to drastically reduce her role in the second Aquaman installment, saying on the stand, “I fought really hard to stay in the movie. They didn’t want to include me in the film. I was given a script and then given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that depicted my character and another character—without giving any spoilers away—two characters fighting with one another, and they basically took a bunch out of my role. They just removed a bunch out.”

More than 4.2 million people with nothing better to do and few actual problems about which to worry signed a Change.org petition asking that she be removed from Aquaman 2, but director James Wan and star Jason Momoa reportedly stood by her at the time.

Unfortunately for all involved, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is looking to be a box office disappointment, likely largely due to James Gunn's announcement that the DCEU in which the franchise took place is moot. As of January 2024, the movie has grossed about $337 million globally on a budget of $205 million. With marketing and promotional costs factored in, it's unlikely any of the stars will get box office bonuses for the film's performance.

Related: Henry Cavill's Net Worth From Superman and More

How much did Amber Heard get paid for Justice League?

Heard's salary for Justice League hasn't been widely reported, nor has her payday for Zack Snyder's Justice League. Heard's part in each is significantly smaller than in Aquaman. She explained on the stand (via Vanity Fair) of her contract to play Mera, “I signed on to do Justice League, where my character was introduced. The fee is small relative to what it will become if and when you do the other options or movies under that umbrella. So it was the contract for Justice League, which could then become Justice League 2, or it could be Aquaman or it could be some other movie within the DC Universe. And the second picture ended up being Aquaman, and the third being Aquaman 2. And each time the fee goes up.”