Who Is ​​Joelle Rich? Johnny Depp’s Alleged New Girlfriend Used to Be His Lawyer

Joelle Rich, Johnny Depp’s girlfriend, has caused a stir on the internet due to her blossoming romance with the actor. The news comes after the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” actor was rumored to have dated another female attorney several months ago.

“Pirates of the Caribbean” actor Johnny Depp recently hit the headlines for reportedly dating his former attorney, Joelle Rich. The rumored relationship between the two began months after the actor won a defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard.

Rich appears to have been associated with one of Johnny Depp’s high-profile cases in recent years. Reportedly, Rich was part of the legal team representing the “Rango” star in his libel case against the British tabloid newspaper The Sun.

Who Is ​​Joelle Rich?

Rich is an outstanding lawyer. According to the Schillings website, Rich has over a decade of experience practicing media law and is an experienced litigator.

She is skilled in protecting the clients’ good names from libelous attacks in print, online, and other social media platforms. She has won many court battles involving privacy, copyright, and libel issues. Rich’s LinkedIn profile read:

“I specialise in helping people and companies in the public eye protect their privacy and reputations, mainly at times of crisis. I regularly handle media attention during particularly sensitive and unpredictable periods.”

According to the beautiful lawyer’s LinkedIn bio, most of her clients are high-profile individuals, family offices, private companies, and business owners. She stated that one of her main goals in her work is to safeguard the interest of her clients and allow them to celebrate their success peacefully.

Rich’s educational background is quite extensive. She went to North London Collegiate School and pursued law at the University of Birmingham from 2003 to 2006. Afterward, she studied a legal practice course at BBP Law School from 2006 until 2007.

During her one-year course, she concentrated her elective studies on intellectual property, media entertainment, and commercial and private acquisitions. After that, she landed a position at DLA Piper as a trainee solicitor for three years, from 2008 to 2011.

Rich has received various accolades and recognition thanks to her impressive accomplishments. During the Citywealth Future Leaders event in 2021, she earned a Silver award for the “Future Leader Initiative of the Year.”

She was also one of the seasoned professionals selected for Spear’s Wealth Management Awards 2021 “Future Leader in Private Client Services” title.

In addition to her many achievements, Rich has two children. Rich, according to Us Weekly, was still married when she met Depp. She is reportedly divorcing her husband, whose name remains unknown as of this writing.

Despite her marital status, Rich, a source, reportedly said that she and the “Edward Scissorhands” actor are starting a new romance and that the rumored pair’s chemistry was “off the charts.” The source added:

“It’s serious between them. They are the real deal.”

Rich and the acclaimed actor would secretly meet in various hotels. The source mentioned that the rumored pair’s meetings had no “professional obligations” involved, just personal matters.

While Rich did not represent Depp in the defamation court hearing against Heard in Virginia, she did attend several court proceedings to support him.

Depp was married twice. He married “Aquaman” actress Amber Heard from 2015 to 2017 and Lori Ann Allison from 1983 to 1985. He didn’t have any children from his ex-wives.

However, the Oscar-nominated actor share daughter Lily-Rose and son Jack with ex-partner Vanessa Paradis, a French singer, model, and actress. Between the former couple’s two adult children, Lily-Rose followed in their footsteps in the entertainment industry.

How Did Johnny Depp and Joelle Rich First Meet?

Rich and Depp met during his libel suit against the British tabloid The Sun. She represented the actor in court after he filed a case against the publication over their 2018 story that branded him as a “wife-beater” during his marriage to Heard.

Unfortunately, Depp eventually lost the case in November 2020. In a written statement by the UK Ministry of Justice, presiding judge Justice Nicol ruled that The Sun article was “substantially true.” Heard’s testimony during the trial bolstered The Sun’s claims.

Depp’s appeal to reverse the decision got denied in March 2021. Besides working on Depp’s case against The Sun, Rich famously worked on Meghan Markle’s case against another publication in 2020.

The lawyer described the experience as a “definite career high” for her. While Rich did not represent Depp in the defamation court hearing against Heard in Virginia, she did attend several court proceedings to support him.

In the courtroom on May 16, many found Rich giving Vasquez a big hug after a court proceeding, and four days later, on May 19, Rich left the courthouse with Depp and the rest of his team.

Lawyer Joelle Rich hugs attorney Camille Vasquez at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse on May 16, 2022, in Fairfax, Virginia. | Source: Getty Images

Did Johnny Depp Date His Another Lawyer, Camille Vasquez?

During Depp’s defamation trial in Virginia, which lasted for six weeks, Vasquez earned massive admiration over her expert questioning of Heard and other witnesses from the opposing camp.

At the same time, rumors about her having a romantic relationship with the actor circulated across the internet like wildfire. However, Vasquez was quick to dispel the rumors, even going so far as to call them sexist.

She said she was in a happy relationship while highlighting that to be romantically involved with clients was unethical. She also noted the rumor as sexist, adding that the claims are based on being a woman who was “just doing her job.”

Vasquez also expressed disappointment over media outlets’ portrayal of her interactions with Johnny Depp as inappropriate or unprofessional. She said the movie star was her friend, who she had represented for more than four years.