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Barnaby Joyce claims he was more famous than the Prime Minister when he threatened to euthanize Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s dogs – after legal action against the actress for bringing them to Australia was dropped
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Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has reflected on his infamous 2015 comments in which he said he would have Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s dogs “euthanized”.
Joyce made the comments 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.
Appearing on Sunrise on Thursday, the 56-year-old Tamworth resident unapologetically told presenter Matt Shirvington that he loved the widespread attention his comments attracted.
“It was funny that more people knew me at the time than the Prime Minister of Australia. Every talk show host in America looted me,” he began.
“I’m fine with that because this 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 2015 comments in which he said he would have Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s dogs ‘euthanized’
“People would say, ‘You have every right to stand up for us and make sure that our biosecurity laws, which are very important for an island continent, are respected,’” he added.
Joyce’s comments come amid reports Australia will not prosecute Hollywood star Heard over allegations she lied about bringing her two dogs Pistol and Boo to the country eight years ago.
The dog debacle — which swept Australia in mid-2015 and spawned a threat from Joyce to put the puppies to sleep and an infamous ‘hostage’ video apology from Heard and her ex-partner Depp — ended this week as authorities quietly dropped their prosecution. .
Joyce made the comments 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 national scandal after the then Secretary of Agriculture Mr Joyce threatened to have the dogs euthanized if Heard and Depp didn’t “go back to the US”.
Agriculture Department authorities had launched an investigation into Heard over allegations of perjury following the developments in Depp’s 2020 libel case against The Sun newspaper.
It was alleged that Heard had lied about being aware of Australia’s strict quarantine regulations, and in a statement this week the department said Heard would not be prosecuted.
Appearing on Sunrise on Thursday, the 56-year-old Tamworth resident unashamedly told presenter Matt Shirvington that he loved the widespread attention his comments attracted
“The department has been working with agencies, both in Australia and abroad, to investigate these claims against Ms Heard,” the department said.
“A brief piece of evidence was referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, who made the decision not to prosecute in this case, having applied the Commonwealth’s prosecution policy.”
Commonwealth prosecution policies include determining whether a case is too ‘trivial’ to prosecute, as well as taking into account how long ago an alleged offense occurred.
Heard eventually escaped conviction and instead paid a fine for the offense in 2016.
Heard broke Australia’s strict quarantine rules when she brought the pair of Yorkshire terriers (pictured) into the country in May 2015 without declaring them
Depp and Heard (pictured in 2016) apologized together for the breach in a clumsily filmed video, which has been likened to a hostage situation or “proof of life” video