Just a few weeks after her embarrassing and financially crippling loss against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit against her, Amber Heard is facing yet another legal battle – this time in Australia.
Heard, 36, who was ordered by the court to pay over $10 million in damages to Depp, 59, for alleging that he physically assaulted her in an op-ed for the Washington Post, is now being investigated for perjury in Australia – which can result in jail time.
The inquiry has been ongoing for a number of years but began in July 2015 when Heard was charged with two counts of illegally importing animals
She pled guilty to falsifying travel documents for her two Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, as she traveled to Queensland with Depp. Heard broke Australia’s strict quarantine and biodiversity rules designed to keep the country free from rabies and other diseases.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment confirmed that the investigation into the alleged perjury was still “on-going”. The Department said it was “investigating allegations of perjury by Ms. Heard during court proceedings for the 2015 illegal importation of [her] two dogs into Australia”.
Perjury is a serious crime in Australia and can carry a prison sentence of up to 14 years for serious examples and seven years for lesser offenses.
Although it is unlikely the Australian government will ask for Heard to be extradited, she could face prosecution if she returns to Oz.
The investigation was given a new breath of life when a former estate manager of Depp’s told a London court during a libel case against the Sun newspaper in 2020 that Heard had ordered him to lie under oath about the two dogs as the actress flew them into to the Gold Coast in a private jet.
“I also explained to Ms. Heard several times the fact that trying to take the dogs into Australia without completing the mandatory process was illegal and could result in very harsh penalties including euthanizing the dogs,” said Kevin Murphy.
-Barnaby Joyce quits as deputy prime minister and Nationals leader-
Pistol and Boo right now
#BarnabyJoyce #AmberHeard #Pistol #Boo #karma @realamberheard pic.twitter.com/psxRn82pqP
— Amber Heard Italia Fans (@AmberHeardIT) February 23, 2018
He said when she was found to have broken Australian law, Heard had allegedly asked him to provide a “false statement” to the Australian court to insist she knew nothing about the restrictions.
“When I expressed that I was extremely uncomfortable with this, Ms. Heard said to me ‘Well I want your help on this … I wouldn’t want you to have a problem with your job.”
Under Australian law, all animals flying into the country from anywhere in the world except New Zealand and Australian-owned islands have to have the correct travel documentation and in addition, must be placed in quarantine for 10 days.
Pistol and Boo reportedly skipped their quarantine period and were not known to be in the country for “several weeks” until a dog groomer posted some snaps of the pooches on social media.
Authorities gave the (then) couple 3 days to return the dogs home or they could have been seized and euthanized.
The revelation of this ongoing legal case against Heard is another blow for the Aquaman actress who is reportedly financially broke and “considers her Hollywood career over”.
This story syndicated with permission from For the Love of News
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