After the trials and tribulations caused by his marriage to Amber Heard, Johnny Depp has finally found love again. This time, it’s in the arms of his former attorney, Joelle Rich.
Those who followed the Depp/Heard U.S. defamation trial earlier this year are justified in scratching their heads, for it was not Rich’s name that cropped up among dating rumors tied to Depp, but that of his other attorney Camille Vasquez, who was by and large the face of his trail – and is now in high demand among Hollywood stars.
Due to the high profile — and highly publicized — nature of the case, Vasquez became somewhat of a celebrity in her own right, but in keeping with the professional nature she is known for, she shut down the rumors of her and Depp by calling them “sexist” and “unethical,” according to People, and confirmed she was in a committed relationship of her own. “I guess it comes with the territory of being a woman just doing her job,” she said.
For that reason, Depp’s rumored relationship with Rich is, for lack of a better word, surprising. Here’s what we know about her.
Who is Joelle Rich and how long has she been dating Johnny Depp?
Joelle Rich is a partner at Schillings, a law firm based in London, U.K. The firm specializes in defending people’s right to privacy and regulating the misuse or falsity of information. Rich is a mother of two, lives in Britain, and, according to Us Weekly, also Johnny Depp’s new girlfriend.
Rich was one of the many attorneys who fought for Depp in his 2020 U.K. defamation trial against The Sun after the newspaper called him a “wife beater.” The article referenced allegations made by Heard, which the U.K.’s High Court of Justice eventually ruled were “substantially true.”
Rich appeared alongside Depp in his U.S. defamation trail in 2022, although this time as “support” and not an attorney. Like Depp, she is divorced, although according to Us Weekly, the divorce hasn’t been finalized yet. Nevertheless, she remains very much estranged from her husband.
It’s unknown how long Rich and Depp have been dating; if it began during the U.K. trial, or took off after his win in the U.S. trial. One thing we do know is that Rich is no stranger to defending high-profile clients. In 2019 she represented the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle in her fight against the Mail on Sunday newspaper for leaking a private letter between her and her father, Thomas Markle. Rich won the case for Markle, according to the BBC. Unfortunately for Depp, the same stroke of luck eluded him in his U.K. defamation trial.
Neither Depp nor Rich have confirmed or commented on their relationship. Although as Depp slowly emerges back into the spotlight, it might only be a matter of time before we see them together in public.