Barnaby Joyce boasts he was better known than the Prime Minister when he threatened to euthanize Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s dogs – after legal action was dropped against the actress over her importation to Australia
Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has reflected on his infamous 2015 comments saying he would have Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s dogs “put down”.
Joyce opened up about the former couple’s Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, after Heard broke quarantine laws by taking them on a flight to Australia without declaring them.
The 56-year-old Tamworth native appeared on Thursday’s Sunrise and unapologetically told presenter Matt Shirvington that he appreciated the wide attention his comments were drawing.
“It was amusing that at the time more people knew me than the Australian prime minister.” “Every talk show host in America robbed me,” he began.
“I agree with that because it was probably the only time a larger group of people in Australia agreed with me.”
Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has reflected on his infamous comments from 2015 when he said he would have Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s dogs “put down”.
“People would say, ‘You have every right to stand up for us and make sure our biosecurity laws, which are really important for an island continent, are respected,'” he added.
Joyce’s comments come amid reports that Australia will not prosecute Hollywood star Heard for lying about bringing her two dogs, Pistol and Boo, into the country eight years ago.
The dog debacle that shook Australia in mid-2015 and led to a threat by Joyce to euthanize the puppies and an infamous video apology from Heard and her ex-partner Depp being “hostage” ended this week with authorities dropping their prosecution silently discontinued.
Joyce opened up about the former couple’s Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, after Heard broke quarantine laws by taking them on a flight to Australia without declaring them. Pictured: Amber Heard with one of the dogs
It sparked a nationwide scandal after then-Agriculture Secretary Joyce threatened to have the dogs euthanized if Heard and Depp didn’t return to the United States.
Authorities at the Department of Agriculture had been investigating allegations of perjury against Heard following developments in Depp’s 2020 libel case against The Sun newspaper.
It has been claimed that Heard lied about being aware of Australia’s strict quarantine regulations and in a statement this week the ministry said Heard would not be prosecuted.
The Tamworth native, 56, appeared on Thursday’s Sunrise and unapologetically told presenter Matt Shirvington that he really appreciated the wide attention his comments were drawing
“The Department was working with authorities in Australia and abroad to investigate these claims against Ms Heard,” the Department said.
“A brief hearing of evidence was forwarded to the Chief Prosecutor of the Commonwealth, who made the decision not to pursue a prosecution in this case, applying the Commonwealth’s prosecution policy.”
The Commonwealth’s prosecution policy includes determining whether a case is too ‘trivial’ to pursue and also takes into account how long ago a suspected crime occurred.
Heard ultimately evaded conviction and instead paid a fine for the violation in 2016.
Heard flouted Australia’s strict quarantine regulations when she brought the pair of Yorkshire terriers (pictured) into the country in May 2015 without reporting them
Depp and Heard (pictured in 2016) jointly apologized for the violation in a clumsily filmed video that has been likened to a hostage taking or “proof of life” video