Amber Heard was accompanied by the husband Johnny Depp in her April 18 court appearance in Southport on the Gold Coast, Queensland. The 29-year-old Texas beauty was summoned to resolve a case about her smuggling two dogs to Australia. Heard was prosecuted under the articles of law which could see her being given a fine up to $100,000 dollars or an imprisonment up to 10 years, ABC reported.
The story broke in May 2015 during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. The movie is the fifth instalment in the famous franchise featuring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. The film is due to be released in May 2017.
Depp and his wife got in hot waters when someone working for the couple dubbed them in about illegal dogs on the property. All animals have to undergo a compulsory quarantine on entry to Australia to avoid the spread of typical on other continents deceases, which don’t exist in the land of Oz. The couple having dogs on the property without following the proper procedure was a clear violation of the border control rules.
The Australian border authorities requested the dogs to be removed or they would be confiscated and euthanized. There was even a famous online clock recording hours and minutes left until the expiration of the Australian authorities’ ultimatum. For days gossip magazines were on fire, calling it, “Australia’s war on terriers”.
In the court yesterday Heard’s lawyers explained that she was jet lagged and tired, and made a mistake in her declaration. It was presented that she was unaware that animals would have to go through a quarantine on arrival to Australia and she was responsible for declaring them on her customs forms.
The couple flew in by a private jet, so the formalities were minimal on arrival to the island continent.
In their April 18 appearance the couple seemed unfazed by the giant crowd of journalists outside the Southport court in the Gold Coast, who jumped to their feet on the entrance of the famous couple. Heard and Depp had to walk in through the front door, surrounded by cameras.
Amber Heard, Johnny Depp arrive to Southport Court on the Gold Coast in Australia.
Apparently, a deal has been achieved where Heard, who initially intended to defend her case, pleaded guilty to falsifying her declaration. She was given a $1,000 fine and one month good behaviour bond. This means she won’t have to pay even this relatively small amount if she doesn’t commit any new offences.
The 2 other more serious charges of illegally importing animals to Australia were dropped by the prosecution.
To ensure a successful outcome, the pair produced a video in which they both look overly sad, praise Australia and its unique nature, and encourage everyone to declare everything on arrival to the country. The famous stars are badly overacting but this may just be what the quarantine authorities wanted. The video instantly went viral.
The Australian authorities uploaded it on their Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources YouTube channel.
It seems the famous couple managed to make some lemonade out of the giant lemon they had to deal with. Any publicity is good publicity, or so the PR people say.
However, it may have turned out differently. This is why it’s wise to learn what you are dealing with before time.
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Video: Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Dog Apology Video for Australia’s Court
The tagline of the Australian border protection authorities, “Quarantine matters”. Johnny Depp agrees, advising visitors to declare everything on their arrival. Apparently, the video was not requested but voluntarily offered to the court. The video was played in the court and it worked for the couple: No jail term. In his interview after learning about the court’s verdict Barnaby Joyce, Australia’s deputy prime minister, insisted that the country was “red-hot about the biosecurity requirements”. Joyce hopes that as many people as possible view the message. Let’s help him to make it happen: Depp and his stunning wife are hilarious in this 42-second film.
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The central theme of this story is in the headline – and it is probably the most important and best advice any international traveler can ever receive, because it applies regardless of your home country and regardless of your destination: when you travel, you are in someone else’s “home,” and you should make the effort to learn – and then follow – their rules. It doesn’t matter if you think the rules are good or bad, or even foolish – you always have the option to not visit.