Johnny Depp's wife Amber Heard has been ordered to appear in court over allegations that she took their pet dogs into Australia illegally in April. The Department of Agriculture confirmed that the Magic Mike XXL actress had been issued the summons after travelling to Queensland by private jet with Yorkshire terriers Boo and Pistol. She was in the country to support her Hollywood movie star husband, who is filming the fifth installment of his Pirates of the Caribbean saga.
Amber Heard had to take her pet dogs out of Australia after failing to comply with quarantine laws
If the charges stand the 29-year-old star, who married Johnny, in February could incur a £172,000 fine or face ten years in jail.
At the time in typically blunt speaking Aussie manner Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said he didn't care if Johnny had once been voted Sexiest Man Alive, quarantine laws had to be enforced. He ordered the couple to fly their pets out of the country on pain of having them put down.
The couple travelled by private jet to Queensland where Johnny is filming Pirates of the Caribbean
Amber's parents accompanied Boo and Pistol back to the States a few days later .
Asked how her pets were faring one month on, she quipped: "I have a feeling we're going to avoid the land Down Under from now on, just as much as we can, thanks to certain politicians there.
"I guess everyone tries to go for their 15 minutes, including some government officials."
Following the run in with the authorities, Johnny tried to put the episode behind them by visiting a children's hospital dressed as his Jack Sparrow character.
The 52-year-old, who arrived at the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital by helicopter, went from ward to ward surprising the children and handing out gold. One of the delighted children he met was seven-year-old Max Bennett, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder and has been in hospital for over a month.
"He was going from room to room seeing all the kids who couldn't get out of bed," Max's mum Rachel told ABC Australia of the star's visit. "We waited out of the front of one of the rooms, and he came up to us and had a really good chat to Max."