Johnny Depp and his newly revealed lawyer-accustomed girlfriend, Joelle Rich, have been hiding for months.
Despite playing no official role in the movie star’s victorious defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard earlier this year, Rich was photographed at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia almost every day of the weeklong trial that ran from April 11 to June. 1.
The London-based lawyer, 37, represented Depp, 59, in his 2020 UK libel suit against The Sun. Despite the legal loss, the couple happily came out of love.
According to endless photos from inside and outside the courthouse, Rich – a partner at law firm Schillings – would arrive with the star of “Pirates of the Caribbean”, sitting directly behind him in the front row, waving to his fans at the end of the day. , leave the premises with him and even leave in the same vehicle.
At one point, paparazzi even caught Rich leaning forward and smiling when Depp showed her something on his phone.
While the lovebirds kept their attitudes toward each other professional, a source told Us Weekly that she was indeed there for “personal” reasons — primarily to “support” her husband.
It’s unclear when their relationship became romantic and representatives for the actor could not be reached for comment.
However, the Us Weekly insider said the two would “discreetly” meet in hotels during the early stages of their courtship.
“Their chemistry is extraordinary,” the informant said. “It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”
Rich is a mother of two who is in the midst of a divorce, although she was apparently married when she met Depp.
Despite her apparent presence during the much-discussed defamation lawsuit, fans were convinced that the “Edward Scissorhands” star was secretly dating his US attorney, Camille Vasquez.
But she quickly stopped the rumor mill, calling the rumors “sexist” and “unethical.”
“I care deeply about my customers and we have clearly become close,” she told People in June. “But when I say ‘we’, I mean the whole team, and of course that includes Johnny.”