The popularity of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard was already known. Add to that the fact that the ex-couple are tearing each other apart in the public arena, and you have all the ingredients for a soap opera followed by millions.
For weeks, the two Hollywood stars have been battling in court in a defamation case. The details of their private lives are splashed across the front pages of newspapers.
The small courtroom inFairfax, Virginia, where Johnny Depp and Amber Heardarefighting is far too small to accommodate all the people who would like to attend the trial.
Now TMZ reports that fans desperate to get into the courtroom have paid thousands of dollars to get a coveted seat.
Dealers, like a Stanley Cup playoff game, are reselling courtroom seats at high prices. Thus, a “black market” for a seat in the court has been created.
According to TMZ, court officials have a limited number of wristbands to give out – 100 for the main courtroom and another 100 to 150 for the overflow room – which is clearly not enough to fill the demand.
Some fans don’t hesitate to camp out and line up outside the courthouse in hopes of attending the proceedings in person.
Ivan De Boer, a Johnny Depp super fan said she used a year’s worth of paid vacation time to travel from Los Angeles to the trial to support her favorite actor, even spending more than $30,000 in fees last week.
“I took my whole year off, so I could be there for Johnny,” she told People magazine.
Despite all that money, the fan has “no regrets,” saying she would “regret it even more” if she wasn’t there.
Johnny Depp is suingAmber Heard for defamation, claiming that her WashingtonPostop-ed in which she refers to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse” is referring to him.
The actor claims to have lost tens of millions because of the article and is seeking $50 million for damage to his reputation and career. Heard is counter-suing him for $100 million.