Johnny Depp in Fallout From Bitter Divorce, Seeks Support of Old Friends

Hollywood heart-throb Johnny Depp has been seen seeking the support of his long-time friends as he deals with the fallout from his divorce with former spouse Amber Heard, reports The Sun.

Pirates of the Caribbean star Depp, 55, has been taking trips to visit old pals and work colleagues Helena Bonham-Carter and Tim Burton at the historic mansion in Oxfordshire, England, where the former couple reside.

“Helena and Tim have been very worried about Johnny in recent months – and have done what they can to help,” the source revealed, adding the filmmaker and his actress wife have reportedly tried “an intervention” together with some other friends, including rocker/bandmate Alice Cooper, amid the scandal involving Heard's abuse allegations against Depp.

“Helena feels maternal towards Johnny although she’s younger than him — and that is why they stepped in,” the source said.

Locals have reportedly seen Depp riding a bike around the picturesque village of Sutton Courtenay and looking happy, while others spotted Depp and Bonham-Carter having a couple of drinks together at The George and Dragon, a local pub in the village, near Abingdon, which dates back to the 16th century.

“It is a good place for him to come to as an escape, as it's so peaceful and about as far away from Hollywood as you can get,” a witness reported. 

After a marriage that lasted 13 years, Carter, 52, and Burton, 60, split up in 2014, but remained friends and often spend time together at the home they bought in 2006 with their son Billy, 15 and daughter Nell, 11.

Burton directed Johnny Depp in several films over the years, including Edward Scissorhands (1990), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and most recently Dark Shadows (2012).  

READ MORE: Johnny Depp Sues Ex-Wife Amber Heard for Defamation Seeking $50 Mln — Reports

Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp and actress Amber Heard met on the set of a 2011 comedy, The Rum Diary. They married in Los Angeles in February 2015.

However, she ended up filing for divorce in May 2016, and filed a temporary restraining order against the actor, claiming he had been verbally and physically abusive during their relationship.

After a settlement was reached, the divorce was finalised in January 2017.

However, in December 2018 Aquaman star Amber Heard wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post where she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse.

Depp was quick to respond with a $50 mln defamation lawsuit against his former spouse, claiming that Heard had in fact physically abused him during the marriage rather than the other way around, something Heard has steadfastly denied.

In a court document obtained by Deadline, Depp claims he never abused Heard, adding:
“She was the perpetrator, and I was the victim.”

“While mixing prescription amphetamines and non-prescription drugs with alcohol, Ms. Heard committed innumerable acts of domestic violence against me, often in the presence of a third-party witness, which in some instances caused me serious bodily harm,” Depp goes on to allege.

​“I have denied Ms Heard’s allegations vehemently since she first made them in May 2016 when she walked into court to obtain a temporary restraining order with painted-on bruises that witnesses and surveillance footage show she did not possess each day of the preceding week … I will continue to deny them for the rest of my life,” stated Depp.