Amber Heard Avoids Jail in Australian Dog Smuggling Case, Records Awkward Apology Video Alongside Johnny Depp

By Zach Johnson - E! Online


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORpBAIB9j64

Amber Heard's dog days are over.

The Magic Mike XXL actress pleaded guilty Monday to providing a false immigration document when she entered Australia last year with her pet Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo. Heard, who appeared in court alongside Johnny Depp, avoided a possible 10-year prison sentence and a fine of nearly $100,000. Magistrate Margaret Callaghan gave Heard a one-month $1,000 good behavior bond, meaning she can't commit any other offenses in the country through May 18.

The yearlong saga has been dubbed Australia's "War on Terrier."

Heard's lawyer told the court that his client never meant to lie on her incoming passenger card by failing to declare she had animals with her. Heard was jetlagged and assumed her assistants had sorted out the paperwork, he said. "She has made a tired, terrible mistake," he added. But prosecutor Peter Callaghan said that was no excuse. "The laws apply to everyone," he argued.

In a video released Monday, Heard, 29, and Depp, 52, took turns reading a prepared statement that was submitted to the Queensland court. According to Magistrate Callaghan, the Australian Department of Agriculture "will get more deterrence value from the video than any conviction." Sitting in an undisclosed office setting, the actress looked directly into the camera and said, "Australia is a wonderful island, with a treasure trove of unique plants, animals and people."

A stone-faced Depp added, "It has to be protected."

"Australia is free of many pests and diseases that are commonplace around the world," Heard said. "That is why Australia has to have such strong biosecurity laws." Still unmoved, Depp said, "Australians are just as unique, both warm and direct. When you disrespect Australia law, they will tell you firmly."

"I am truly sorry that Pistol and Boo were not declared," Heard reiterated. "Protecting Australia is important." Depp ended the 42-second PSA by reminding people to "declare everything when you enter Australia. Thanks."

Twitter users mocked the video soon after its release:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That Johnny Depp apology video... <a href="https://t.co/8dPUZor4QU">pic.twitter.com/8dPUZor4QU</a></p>&mdash; Jason Tin (@jasonthetin) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonthetin/status/721932855429869568">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">children: biosecurity is lame, and bogus<br>barnaby joyce: heres johnny depp pleading for mercy with his eyes<br>children: YAY I LOVE BIOSECURITY</p>&mdash; thomas violence (@thomas_violence) <a href="https://twitter.com/thomas_violence/status/721934465010765824">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let&#39;s be honest here, Depp&#39;s acting in that video is still going to be better than whatever we&#39;re subjected to in Pirates 5 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/waronterrier?src=hash">#waronterrier</a></p>&mdash; Cazz (@CazzReid) <a href="https://twitter.com/CazzReid/status/721991486062010368">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When Johnny Depp apologises for Charlie &amp; The Chocolate Factory, we&#39;ll know he&#39;s serious about making it up to Australians <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/waronterrier?src=hash">#waronterrier</a></p>&mdash; The Shovel (@The_Shovel_) <a href="https://twitter.com/The_Shovel_/status/721976237611061248">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ranking of Johnny Depp’s worst acting performances:<br><br>4. The Tourist<br>3. Pirates 3<br>2. Apology to Australia video<br>1. Mordecai</p>&mdash; Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkDiStef/status/721933049231839234">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I think my favourite bit is right at the start when Depp goes to read Heard&#39;s line but then realises he is a second tier character</p>&mdash; Helen Davidson (@heldavidson) <a href="https://twitter.com/heldavidson/status/721936899238047744">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I&#39;ve seen ISIS hostage videos with more joie de vivre than Johnny Depp&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WarOnTerrier?src=hash">#WarOnTerrier</a> apology.</p>&mdash; John Johnsonson (@JohnJohnsonson) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnJohnsonson/status/721949848161771520">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Johnny Depp sounds about as sincere as the hostages in those IS propaganda videos <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/waronterrier?src=hash">#waronterrier</a></p>&mdash; Brian Billingsley (@BTBillingsley) <a href="https://twitter.com/BTBillingsley/status/722012195463168000">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How did Joyce even get them to do that can we humiliate celebrities by LAW</p>&mdash; Lane Sainty (@lanesainty) <a href="https://twitter.com/lanesainty/status/721939607491727360">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I doubt Depp or Heard could have been any worse at the acting in that video if they tried. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/terriergate?src=hash">#terriergate</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/waronterrier?src=hash">#waronterrier</a></p>&mdash; Boah Chung (@fattiechronicle) <a href="https://twitter.com/fattiechronicle/status/721991227126587392">April 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Heard illegally imported her dogs on Apr. 21, 2015, while Depp was in Queensland to film Disney's Pirate of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Barnaby Joyce, the Australian politician who threatened to kill Heard's dogs, said the couple communicated with the Department of Agriculture about filming the video. "I don't think it'd be something that they would've willingly wanted to do," he said. "I hope that now things move on and this issue is left behind, except for the part that it reinforces to all and sundry, don't take our biosecurity requirements as a joke."

In May 2015, Joyce accused Depp of smuggling the terriers aboard his private jet. Depp and Heard were given 72 hours to send them back to the U.S., with Joyce threatening to euthanize the dogs. The pets made it out with just hours to spare.

"There is a process if you want to bring animals: you get the permits, they go into quarantine and then you can have them," an impassioned Joyce explained during an interview with Australia's ABC radio last April. "But if we start letting movie stars—even though they've been the Sexiest Man Alive twice—to come into our nation [and break the laws], then why don't we just break the laws for everybody?"

http://i.imgur.com/pbTx4FY.jpg

Heard was charged in July. When asked why Depp wasn't charged as well, the prosecutor's office said that there had been a "lack of admissible evidence" against anyone except Heard. That same month, Heard told Australia's Sunrise that she and Depp were "going to avoid the land Down Under from now on, just as much as we can, thanks to certain politicians there." Regarding Joyce, she said, "I guess everyone tries to go for their 15 minutes, including some government officials."

In September, Depp opened up about the incident during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. "We were under the impression that we had all the paperwork done for the dogs. We were there with the dogs in front of everybody," he told host Jimmy Kimmel, later adding, "There might have been other things smuggled. They seemed to miss that bit...might have been. Could have been." At the Venice Film Festival that same month, Depp was asked about his dogs and made a grim joke. "I killed my dogs and ate them," he said, "under direct orders from some kind of, I don't know, sweaty, big-gutted man from Australia."