Is Johnny Depp dating his lawyer? Who is girlfriend Joelle Rich - was she involved in Amber Heard trial

Johnny Depp has reportedly found love with his former lawyer Joelle Rich.

Rich previously represented the actor in a libel case against a tabloid newspaper.

But who is Joelle Rich - and was she involved in the Amber Heard trial that dominated headlines earlier this year?

Who is Joelle Rich?

Joelle Rich is an English lawyer aged 37. She is 22 years younger than Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp.

Rich is reportedly married and in the process of a divorce with her estranged husband. The English lawyer has two children, something she shares in common with Depp, who has two children of his own - daughter Lily Rose Depp and son Jack Depp.

Rich studied law at the University of Birmingham and later went to BBP Law School in London. Since graduating from University, Rich has been based in London where she is now a partner of international law firm Schillings according to her Linkedin profile.

In her role at Schillings, Rich works to defend clients facing defamatory allegations in print, online and on social media and is known to act for her clients in times of crisis. Rich has over a decade of experience working for her company in media law and is known for being able to identify risks to her clients privacy and reputation.

Rich has previously represented a number of big names - including Meghan Markle in a case against the publishers of the Mail on Sunday in 2021.

According to the Schillings website Rich received the Silver award for the ‘Future Leader Initiative of the Year’ at the Citywealth Future Leaders award in 2021 and was also shortlisted as a finalist for the ‘Future Leader in Private Client Services’ by Spear’s Wealth Management Awards in 2021.

Is Johnny Depp dating his former lawyer?

According to US Weekly, Depp is officially dating Rich, with an insider claiming that their “chemistry is off the charts”, and that the relationship between the two is “serious”.

It has not yet been made clear when the relationship began or how long the pair have been together.

Neither Depp nor Rich have made any public statements regarding the status of their relationship.

Was Joelle Rich involved in the Amber Heard trial?

While Rich has represented Depp in the past, she was not involved in the recent trial that featured his ex-wife Amber Heard (Aquaman, Zombieland).

In the past Rich represented Depp in the UK in his libel lawsuit against The Sun, which he lost in November 2020.

Depp had sued the tabloid for referring to him as a “wife beater”, however the court upheld The Sun’s claims as being “substantially true”. In March 2021, Depp’s attempt to overturn the court’s decision was overruled.

Despite not being involved in the trial, Rich was present in the Virgina Courtroom to show support for the American actor.

A source told US weekly: “There was no professional obligation for her being there. It was personal.”

Rich was also photographed hugging Depp’s attorney during the Heard trial, Camille Vasquez, inside the courtroom on 16 May.