Amber Heard 'manipulated' Johnny Depp after Betty Sue Palmer's death, close pal claims

Johnny Depp prevailed in the defamation trial against his former ladylove, Amber Heard, in June. However, the criticisms against both parties do not appear to be going away anytime soon.

A close pal of the "Black Mass" actor recently described Heard as a "manipulator" who took advantage of Depp during his darkest days. Doug Stanhope, who has been close to Depp for many years already, revealed in his book called "No Encore for the Donkey" the insider perspective of what the former couple's toxic relationship was like.

One part of the tome centred on being with Johnny Depp after the death of his mother, Betty Sue Palmer. It read, "His wife, Amber Heard, seemed to be f***king with his head again, I assume using this opportunity of his weakness to manipulate him even more, and harder."

Stanhope's revelations seem to suggest what it was like when Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were still together. Also, the stand-up comedian apparently believes that the "Aquaman" actress intentionally tried to manipulate the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star during a time of mourning.

To recall, Depp won his defamation trial against Amber Heard on June 1 and the "Never Back Down" actress also lost most of her countersuit. In a stunning finish to the widely covered trial, the "Fantastic Beasts" actor was awarded $15 million in damages, which include $5 million in punitive damage.

The jury awarded Heard $2 million after finding out that a former lawyer of Johnny Depp had defamed the actress. There is no denying that the Fairfax County, Virginia trial of Depp vs. Heard became a media sensation with Court TV doubling its daytime ratings for covering the court battle between the former lovebirds.

Reports claimed that, while there are compelling pieces of evidence to prove that violence came from both parties in the marriage, it is far from clear that Amber Heard was the primary aggressor. Johnny Depp, for his part, has delivered enough accolades over the course of his decades-long career to earn himself a fair amount of goodwill.

Amber Heard, in a statement, attributed Johnny Depp's win squarely to his strong public profile.

The "London Fields" star said, "I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband," she said. "I'm even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women. It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously."

To recall, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp started dating each other in 2012 after splitting up with their respective partners at the time. They got engaged in 2014 and tied the knot in 2015. It was in 2016 when the rumoured ex-girlfriend of Elon Musk filed for divorce.