Amber Heard-Johnny Depp Trial: Did Elon Musk Really Donate $500,000 to ACLU for 'Aquaman' Actress?

According to the American Civil Liberties Union's general counsel, billionaire Elon Musk appears to have contributed at least $500,000 to ex-girlfriend Amber Heard's gift to the group.

According to Terence Dougherty's audio deposition released during Johnny Depp's defamation prosecution against his ex-wife, Heard never made good on her $3.5 million vow to the ACLU, paying only $350,000.

Elon Musk Pays $300K of Amber Heard's Donation to ACLU

The remaining $1.3 million came from Depp, who contributed $100,000, and a benefactor named Musk, according to Dougherty. Dougherty said that the funds included a $500,000 gift from a Vanguard fund and $350,000 from a Fidelity fund.

In a pre-taped deposition in the lawsuit recorded in December and shown on Thursday, he claimed he believed at least the $500,000 came from Tesla CEO Elon Musk. After her 2016 separation from Depp, Musk, the world's richest man, began dating Heard.

The actor from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is suing for defamation and seeking $50 million in damages, with the trial in a Fairfax, Virginia, courthouse currently in its 11th day. Musk and actor James Franco were both supposed to testify, but the New York Post announced this week that neither will do so.

Heard's attorneys have informed the court that she intended to pay the money, but that she would need the divorce settlement to pay her legal bills for the time being. Heard made her final gift of $350,000 in December 2018 and has not paid any money since, according to the court.

According to Dougherty, Heard told the group that the money came from her anonymous Fidelity account, but no additional checks were made to ensure it was her money. The court heard that Musk was instrumental in arranging for Heard's gifts to the ACLU, partially because he had previously donated to the organization.

ACLU Employee Helps Draft Controversial Op-Ed

The initial draft of the op-ed was written by Robin Shulman, an ACLU communications strategist, in November 2018, a month before the article was published, according to the court. Shulman stated she sought to "gather your fire and rage" and turn it into an op-ed piece in communication to Heard dated November 29, 2018. Dougherty claimed it was about "gender-based violence issues" when asked if he meant fury at Depp.

The ACLU was in charge of placing the op-ed, and Dougherty suggested the New York Times, Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and USA Today as possible destinations, according to Daily Mail. Amber Heard was a women's rights artist ambassador for the ACLU. She revealed her new employment as the Washington Post published her op-ed, which is the subject of Depp's $50 million defamation suit.

Depp's lawyer says that, even though the op-ed did not identify him by name, there was enough of a relationship to harm his image, given her allegations of abuse. Dougherty mentioned the ACLU's role in crafting the op-ed in his deposition. According to an email, as the op-ed was being written, Heard wanted to make a mention to her seeking a restraining order against Depp in 2016, but her attorneys refused. There was no reference given, Deadline reported.