An online petition urging studio personnel to axe Amber Heard from the upcoming Aquaman sequel has received more than 1.5 million signatures.
Created by Jeanne Larson, the petition crossed the signature milestone after Deadline reported that Mads Mikkelsen will replace Johnny Depp in the latest Fantastic Beasts film and is addressed to executives at both DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. To date the petition has received a total of 1,579,927 signatures, more than half of its targeted 3,000,000 pledges.
In the description, Larson justifies petitioners’ calls to Heard from the upcoming DC movie, where she’s set to continue starring as Mera, with claims about Depp and the actress’ relationship. From claiming Heard is a “known and proven domestic abuser” to accusing the actress of lying, Larson passionately supports the Pirates of the Caribbean star while seeking to persuade signers with claims unsupported from the months-long trial.
Early in November,Justice Andrew Nicol decreed on November 2 that the claim in an article by the Rupert Murdoch-owned The Sun about his relationship with Amber Heard that Depp was a “wife beater” was “substantially true.”
“Men are victims of domestic abuse, just like women. This must be recognized, and action must be taken to prevent a known abuser from being celebrated within the entertainment industry,” Larson writes in the description. “Do the right thing. Remove Amber Heard from Aquaman 2.“
Aquaman 2 is set for a 2022 release, with James Wan placed to direct and Patrick Wilson and Jason Momoa to reprise their roles from the previous installment.