Who else saw this coming?
Johnny Depp and his newly revealed lawyer-turned-girlfriend, Joelle Rich, have been hiding in plain sight for months.
Despite not having any official role in the movie star’s victorious defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard earlier this year, Rich was photographed at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia nearly every day of the weeks-long trial that ran from April 11 to June 1.
Rich, 37, represented Depp, 59, in his UK libel case against the Sun back in 2020. Despite the legal loss, the pair emerged lucky in love.
Looking back at endless photos from inside and outside the courthouse, Rich (a partner at the Schillings law firm) would arrive with Depp, sit directly behind him in the first row, wave to his fans upon the day’s end, exit the premises with him and even leave in the same vehicle.
Paparazzi even caught Rich leaning in and smiling as Depp showed her something on his phone.
Even though the two lovebirds kept their romance secretive toward one another, a source says, “Rich was indeed there for personal reasons. Mainly, to simply support her man.”
It’s unclear when their relationship became romantic.However, an insider spilled that the two would meet up discreetly in hotels during the early stages of their relationship.
“Their chemistry is off the charts,” the informant said. “It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”
Rich is a mother of two who’s in the midst of a divorce, though she was apparently married when she met Depp.
Despite her obvious presence during the highly publicized defamation trial, fans were convinced Depp was secretly dating one of his US attorneys, Camille Vasquez.
Vasquez quickly muted the rumors by calling them sexist and unethical.
“I care very deeply about my clients, and we have obviously become close,” she told People in June. “But when I say ‘we,’ I mean the entire team, and of course that includes Johnny.”
