Entertainment
Johnny Depp raises a whopping £3,000,000 in a matter of hours by selling his artwork amid Amber Heard countersuit-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro
He painted celebrities he admires including Elizabeth Taylor.
Depp has painted a number of famous faces for his debut art collection (Picture: PA)
Johnny Depp has raked in around £3million in just a matter of hours by flogging his artwork while his legal battle with Amber Heard continues.
The 59-year-old actor painted a number of celebrities in his debut collection, including Rolling Stone Keith Richards, folk legend Bob Dylan and Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor.
The Pirates of the Carribean actor’s fans rushed to snap up his art after he announced on Instagram he was selling prints through Castle Fine Art gallery in London’s Covent Garden.
All 780 pieces sold within hours on Thursday, with framed individual images going for £3,950 and the complete portfolio of four images selling for £14,950.
Depp’s post on Instagram, captioned only ‘NOW AT #CASTLEFINEART’, caused such a spike in traffic the gallery’s website crashed.
He said: ‘I’ve always used art to express my feelings and to reflect on those who matter most to me, like my family, friends and people I admire.
‘My paintings surround my life, but I kept them to myself and limited myself. No one should ever limit themselves.’
Depp admires Elizabeth Taylor (Picture: PA)
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of fine art publishers Washington Green Glyn Washington described Depp as a ‘true creative, with an extraordinary eye for detail and nuance.’
The sale comes after the conclusion of Depp’s high-profile court case against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
A jury found a 2018 article Heard wrote for the Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse to be defamatory and awarded $10.35m (£8.2m) in damages to Depp.
Depp has made millions in art sales (Picture: Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
The collection sold out in hours (Picture: PA)
Bob Dylan depicted by Depp (Picture: PA)
Heard won on one count of her countersuit, successfully arguing that Depp’s press agent defamed her by claiming her allegations were ‘an abuse hoax’ aimed at capitalising on the #MeToo movement.
The jury awarded her $2million (£1.5m) in damages, which Depp has filed an appeal to overturn.
Depp’s lawyer Camille Vasquez told Gayle King on CBS on Thursday that they ‘absolutely’ have a plan in place to fight her appeal.
She added: ‘Mr Depp ended up filing his own appeal so that the court could have the full record. And she insists on continuing to litigate this matter. We have to protect our client’s interest.
‘We are just hopeful that the court will uphold the verdict, which we think was the right verdict, and allow both parties to move on.’
Heard’s legal team has also filed documents with the Fairfax County court on Thursday to appeal the verdict.
Keith Richards imagined by Johnny Depp (Picture: PA)
‘We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment,’ Heard’s spokesperson told Metro.co.uk.
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As deliberations took place, Depp appeared on stage with veteran rock guitarist Jeff Beck, 78, during his UK tour.
The pair also recently released a collaborative album, titled 18, which broke into the top 40 in the UK.
MORE : Kate Moss felt she ‘had to say that truth’ in defence of Johnny Depp at Amber Heard defamation trial
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