Amber Heard has hired an elite security detail for protection amid fears of escalating threats and “lone-wolf” attacks from crazy Johnny Depp fans during her slander case, The Post has learned.
The security firm, staffed by former military and government officials, is monitoring “lone wolf supporters trying to gain access to [Fairfax] County Circuit Courthouse plots, vehicles or entrance to the facility, “according to a Sunday memo obtained by The Post.
The high-profile company has deployed staff on the grounds of Fairfax, Va., The courthouse where Heard is deferring at least $ 120 an hour per shift, a source with knowledge of the situation said.
It is unclear how many guards – working undercover – are protecting her.
“Do not be predictable or complacent,” the security firm warns in the memo.
Spectators have chased vehicles transporting Heard and her team home from the courthouse, according to video and photos the company has obtained. The memo suggests that guards devise cumbersome routes to ensure the “Aquaman” actress can get to her temporary residence safely.
Heard, 36, and her legal team have been threatened online, and the hashtag #JusticeForJohnnyDepp trended on Twitter last week as the actor took the stand.
“Moral Question: Is it OK to kill and eat Amber Heard’s lawyer, since she’s likely to kill him brutally herself?” one person tweeted Tuesday.
“Who will join my expedition to brutally murder Amber Heard,” another user wrote on April 13 while the court was in session.
Another tweeted on April 20: “#AmberHeardd, you big crooked head, I’ll come after you when you get out of court, so your lying ass with big faces, but it’s up.”
Moira Penza, a former federal prosecutor in the eastern district of New York who led the successful Nxivm sex cult investigation, said online threats should not be taken lightly.
“When people are nurtured over social media, dangerous events can happen in real life,” Penza told The Post.
“Burned by social media, Twitter is coming to life and it’s something we all count on,” Penza added. “What is happening on the Internet and attacks on various individuals, especially women,” is threatening.
During the R. Kelly trial, supporters of the rapper mocked and attacked prosecutors and even disrupted the courtroom, she said. But in criminal cases like Kelly’s, law enforcement like the FBI was involved and provided an extra level of security.
Depp is suing her ex-wife Heard, claiming she slandered him when she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse in a 2018 Washington Post post.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, 58, was not mentioned in the essay, but he claims it clearly referred to him and ruined his career, damaged his reputation and cost him tens of millions of dollars.
Heard’s team, meanwhile, argues that Depp abused his ex-wife, physically and sexually, and claims his denials are not credible because he was often too drunk or loud to remember what happened.
The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office has handled security and has so far thrown two Depp supporters out of online threats against Heard, as well as one of her supporters for breaking court rules.
After The Post exclusively reported that the two Depp superfans were excluded from the trial, the court began demanding that those who entered the gallery show identification.
The source said the private detail hired by Heard is in contact with the sheriff’s office, who declined to comment. The post does not name the company due to a contract clause.
Depp has long had a team of bodyguards by his side – one of whom actually testified during the trial.
His and Heard’s teams declined to comment on the tightened security measures.
The courtroom has been filled with Depp fans since the trial began about three weeks ago, with some admirers traveling from as far as Australia to watch the trial.