Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Defamation Trial Docs Expose Drama on ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ Set

Embarrassing notes from the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial posted on Reddit expose drama on the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom set, including Jason Momoa allegedly drunk on set and an angry letter from Elon Musk to Warner Bros.

As reported by Variety, the trial notes posted on Reddit the same day last month that Warner Bros. dropped its first trailer for the Aquaman sequel. Variety reports, “Depp fans paid the court fees for the release of documents from Heard’s therapist, Dr. Dawn Hughes. The raw notes, scribbled on a legal pad, were part of last year’s high-profile trial in which Depp largely prevailed. They describe a hostile Aquaman set where an allegedly intoxicated Jason Momoa dressed like Depp and pushed to have Heard booted from the role of aquatic superhero Mera.”

The notes read, “Jason said he wanted me fired. Jason drunk — late on set. Dressing like Johnny. Has all the rings too.”

A DC mouthpiece quickly responded to the eyebrow-raising notes, saying, “Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” An insider on the London set in 2021 said,  “Jason works his a– off, likes to have a beer once in a while like everyone, but doesn’t show up drunk to set. And he isn’t dressing like Johnny Depp. He has always dressed in that bohemian style.”

Amber Heard's Lawyers Fought the Release of the Therapy Notes

Although Heard's lawyers reportedly fought the release of the therapy notes, Depp's lawyers subpoenaed them during discovery. The notes also mention Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan (pictured, above, with Momoa). “He raised his voice @ me — ‘I can’t even post about Aquaman — made it like it was my fault – I said, ‘I’m sorry,’” read Hughes’ notes. “Nobody could take selfies with me on set given blackout.”

Sources tell Variety that Warner Bros. almost fired Heard after the first Aquaman movie due to a “lack of chemistry” with Momoa. One inside source says Heard's then-boyfriend Elon Musk sent a “scorched-earth letter to Warner Bros. threatening to burn the house down” if Heard wasn't brought back for the sequel. 

Reports of multiple reshoots for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom already spelled trouble for the superhero sequel. “The movie is like this echo of regimes,” says one insider to Variety. “It’s the last remnant of the Snyderverse, and no one really wants to take ownership of it.”

The official press notes for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom read, “All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne.”

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters everywhere on December 20. It is the final movie in the DCEU.