Amber Heard has said she will donate her $7m divorce settlement from Johnny Depp to two charities working with abused women and sick children.

Depp and Heard were married for just over a year. Photo: Shutterstock

The American Civil Liberties Union and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles will share Heard's settlement, with the actress saying she wanted to help "those less able to defend themselves." The ACLU donation will have a particular focus on stopping violence against women, Heard said. 

Last May, Heard had obtained a restraining order against her former husband Depp after alleging abuse and claiming she "lived in fear" of him. The two had married in February of last year. 

Depp denied the allegations and the restraining order has now been withdrawn. In a joint statement, both sides said that "neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm."