Discovery+ expands Johnny vs Amber format with Coleen vs Rebekah, Britney vs Jamie

Discovery+ in the UK has commissioned a second season of its documentary about the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial and ordered two spin-offs focusing on other legal battles between famous faces.

Amber Heard (photo: Gage Skidmore via CC)

Johnny vs Amber launched in December 2021 as a two-part documentary exploring Depp’s defamation trial in the UK High Court.

Warner Bros Discovery UK will again partner with Optomen TV to produce a follow-up to Johnny vs Amber focused on the actors’ recent and very high-profile legal battle, this time in the US. The two-part documentary will look at the extensive evidence and testimonies of both Depp and Heard.

Following the success of the access-driven format, Discovery+ has greenlit two further ‘vs’ series: Coleen vs Rebekah and Britney vs Jamie.

The format examines each side of the story as played out in the legal trials and the court of public opinion, with access to opposing legal teams, witnesses and reporters as well as personal archive and testimony.

Coleen vs Rebekah will examine the recent UK court battle between high-profile footballers’ wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, on which judgment is expected in the coming weeks.

In October 2019, Rooney discovered someone was leaking personal information to The Sun newspaper and, determined to identify who was responsible, she posted a series of fake stories on her private Instagram.

In an explosive and very public display, Rooney subsequently declared via social media that Vardy was the source. Vardy, who has maintained her innocence throughout, sued Rooney for defamation, resulting in one of the biggest celebrity showdowns of recent years.

Britney vs Jamie, meanwhile, will look into the truth behind the headlines, accusations and very public family feud between global pop star Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears.

At the end of 2021, Britney Spears announced that she had broken free from her controversial 13 year conservatorship after her father was suspended as her conservator. She has since indicated she may press charges against her father for financial corruption and conservator abuse.

Clare Laycock, senior VP of planning and insights and head of entertainment at Warner Bros Discovery UK, said: “When we commissioned Johnny vs Amber for Discovery+, we knew we were tackling a very sensitive case but one with huge global profile and interest that would resonate with our audience.

“Since it premiered in December last year, Johnny vs Amber has been one of the most successful unscripted Discovery+ originals. It is currently the number-one acquisition driver in the UK as well topping engagement figures and traveling globally across the US, EMEA and our wider international markets.”

The three new shows will arrive on Discovery+ in the UK later this year, with details on the international roll-out to follow.