Johnny Depp Is 'Slowly' Rebuilding His Reputation After Amber Heard Drama: 'He Was in Exile'

Johnny Depp is reviving his acting career after he was ostracized following the 2022 defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.

According to an insider, Depp has rallied for himself after his victory over Heard. Now, three years later, he’s ready to get back in the game for good.

“This is a long time coming for Johnny; he was quite literally in exile,” the source dished to a news outlet. “But his win at trial over Amber opened the door for him to slowly rebuild his reputation and start working again.”

“He started with foreign productions, and now he’s back in the Hollywood fold,” the insider noted of what Depp has been up to since he was accused of physically abusing Heard in an op-ed she wrote in the Washington Post.

“At one point, people predicted this day would never come, that he’d be ostracized from Hollywood forever, so this is very vindicating for him,” the insider explained of Depp’s comeback.

“He’s been in a much better headspace and, as a result, has been taking much better care of himself,” the source noted. “He wants to come back his absolute best and have a full Phoenix rising arc.”

Depp had taken on just one role since the tumultuous trial in the 2023 film Jeanne du Barry, but the acting legend is finally working on another film.

The 61-year-old is currently shooting the thriller Day Drinker alongside Penélope Cruz, with whom he co-starred in three movies, including the 2011 sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean.

There is no release date for his upcoming film; however, the cast and crew began filming in Spain this April.

Though he’s well on his way to a Hollywood comeback, while on the stand during the trial, the Alice in Wonderland star suggested his career was “done” from “the second the allegations were made against me.”

“Once that happened, I lost then,” Depp said to the court. “No matter the outcome of this trial, I’ll carry that for the rest of my days… I’m suing her over defamation and the various falsities that she used to bring my life to an end.”

Depp was awarded $15 million after he sued Heard for allegedly lying about being physically abused by him. Heard, on the other hand, was granted $2 million.

As Depp dives back into his acting career, Heard intends to navigate her own comeback. As OK! previously reported, Heard has “special conditions” when it comes to making her way back to acting, which she has plans for after living in Spain for the last three years.