Amber Heard Drops|Defamation Lawsuit

TUCSON (CN) — Johnny Depp's ex-wife, Amber Heard, has dropped her lawsuit against an Arizona comedian she accused of defaming her.

The complaint against Doug Stanhope, Depp's friend, was dismissed without prejudice, Stanhope's attorney David Gingras said.

Heard agreed to dismiss the lawsuit against as part of a divorce settlement, Gingras said.

"There was no settlement at all between Mr. Stanhope and Ms. Heard," he added.

Heard filed for divorce in May and got a restraining order against Depp amid allegations of physical and verbal abuse.

On June 3, she sued Stanhope in Cochise County Court after he defended Depp in a column published on TheWrap.com, saying she had lied about the abuse and was blackmailing Depp. Stanhope lives in Bisbee, in Cochise County.

Among the statements Heard called defamatory were: "Today, a friend of mine was pilloried in the press for domestic violence. Coupled with a picture of his wife with a bruise, he was murdered on social media. I watched it happen and I didn't say a f-ing word. Even though I knew it was bulls-."

Heard's lawsuit described the abuse she said she had suffered at her husband's hands.

"After 15 months of marriage and numerous instances of abuse, matters came to a head when Heard was consoling Depp after his mother died," the complaint stated. "In his altered state, Depp was incensed by a delusion, blew up at Heard and flew into a rage, threw her phone at her then violently grabbed Heard by the hair while assaulting her, and verbally and physically threatened neighbors and witnesses who came into the house to help."

Heard and Depp were married in February 2015. Both starred in the 2011 movie, "The Rum Diary."

Heard's attorneys did not return calls seeking comment.

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