'Domestic abuse is never, ever funny,' actress Emily Hampshire wrote
Verdict reached in Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial
Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith details the reactions from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard following the conclusion of the defamation trial on 'Special Report.'
Actress Emily Hampshire said she feels ashamed after donning what she called a "thoughtless" and "ignorant" Halloween costume that made light of one of last year's most talked about celebrity trials.
Hampshire, who for six seasons starred on "Schitt's Creek" as the deadpan motel worker Stevie Budd, dressed up as Johnny Depp for Halloween alongside a friend who dressed as Amber Heard. Their costumes referenced the former couple's nasty court battle that spanned seven weeks in the Fairfax County Courthouse in Fairfax, Va., last summer in which both sides traded abuse allegations.
Hampshire regretted her Halloween costume, calling it "insensitive" for appearing to make light of domestic abuse.
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"I want to address what is one of the most thoughtless, insensitive, and ignorant things I’ve ever done," Hampshire wrote on Instagram. "For Halloween, I stupidly thought it would be funny to dress as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard," she wrote. "I am deeply sorry and ashamed for putting something that awful out in the universe.
"Domestic abuse is never, ever funny," she continued. "These are real issues with real people and I REALLY regret my actions."
Ken Jennings poses with "Schitt's Creek" star Emily Hampshire during her episode of "Celebrity Jeopardy!" (Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images)
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Hampshire concluded that she would "do better."
Hampshire has received mixed reaction from fans, some who agree her costume was in bad taste, and others who say her apology was not necessary and that culture is becoming overly "sensitive."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Hampshire for further comment. This article will be updated with any reply.
After her one-year marriage to Depp from 2015-2016, Heard filed for a restraining order on the grounds of domestic abuse. Depp denied the allegations and a judge later dismissed the charges amid a divorce settlement. In 2022, Depp brought a defamation case against Heard after she wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post where, without naming Depp, she described being a victim of domestic abuse. The op-ed, he and his team alleged, severely stunted his Hollywood career and even cost him film roles. Heard countersued for $100 million, also claiming defamation.
Hundreds of fans parked outside the Fairfax County courthouse throughout the weeks-long trial, trying to get a glimpse of the actors and some of their high profile witnesses.
Johnny Depp looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. (JIM WATSON/POOL/AFP)
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Depp won his defamation case against Heard, with a jury awarding him more than $10 million in damages. Heard first appealed the decision but in December 2022 they settled outside of court, with Heard paying $1 million in damages to Depp. His legal team said he planned to donate it to charities.
"The jury gave me my life back. I am truly humbled," Depp said following the verdict. "From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome. Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me."
In her own statement, Heard said she feared that the case would be a step back for female empowerment.
"I'm heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband," the statement read. "[The verdict] is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated."
The court battle between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp lasted seven weeks. (JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/STEVE HELBER )
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Cortney O'Brien is an Editor at Fox News. Twitter: @obrienc2
