Barnaby Joyce responds to Amber Heard naming her dog after him

Barnaby Joyce has spoken out after US actress Amber Heard finally got her revenge six years after he famously threatened to destroy her dogs.

Barnaby Joyce has responded to Amber Heard’s tongue-in-cheek tweet harking back to one of the most bizarre moments in Australian political history.

The Hollywood actress finally enacted her revenge on Joyce some six years after he threatened to put down both of her dogs, naming her new pet after the Australian politician in a tweet shared earlier today.

Joyce hit back in comments to The Australian, saying he feels a “real sense of accomplishment” to be the inspiration for the name, not resisting a dig at the star.

He told the publication he was “fine” with the name choice, adding that he had “no problems with animals”.

“I get a real sense of accomplishment that I’m still in her head long after I’ve forgotten about them,” he said.

“Obviously, I now rate above Johnny Depp.”

Heard and Depp were famously embroiled in a feud with Joyce over a biosecurity breach in 2015. Picture: AP Photo.

The then-Agriculture Minister forced Heard to apologise for the breach in a public video.

Heard was at the centre of a scandal back in 2015 when she and ex-husband Johnny Depp entered Australia with their dogs Pistol and Boo, breaking the country’s strict quarantine rules for animals.

Then-Agriculture Minister Joyce led the ensuing public furore against the couple, saying the two small dogs needed to “bugger off back to the United States” and warning that, if not, they would need to be euthanised.

Both dogs lived to see another day – and today Heard revealed she’s made a new addition to the family with a very familiar name.

Meet the newest member of the Heard family, Barnaby Joyce! 🐶 pic.twitter.com/fFZkx0ckkt

— Amber Heard (@realamberheard) December 26, 2021

Australians who remember the strange days of Pistol and Boo-gate certainly got a kick out of the tweet: “Solid trolling,” wrote one.

“We can smell the burn from here,” said another.

“In retaliation Barnaby will have to name his next two kids Pistol and Boo,” quipped another.

Heard became embroiled in one of the most bizarre political scandals in recent history back in 2015 after she joined her then-husband Depp on Queensland’s Gold Coast via private jet, dogs in tow, while he was filming Pirates of the Caribbean.

Heard and Depp arrive at a Gold Coast court in 2016. Picture: AFP

It was the same trip during which the couple had a brutal argument which ended with Depp’s finger being severed. Heard alleged she was “held hostage” for three days by the actor, in a drug-fuelled rage. Depp has denied he was physically abusive.

The Aquaman actress avoided conviction over the Pistol and Boo matter in April 2016, claiming she was unaware that the correct paperwork had not been lodged prior to her arrival. She was later forced by Joyce to film a biosecurity apology video alongside Depp, and was also slapped with a $1000 fine.

Joyce publicly threatened to have the dogs destroyed. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Meanwhile, there’s been a new development in Heard’s lengthy legal battle against Depp, with Page Six reporting that scandal-plagued actor James Franco has been served to appear in court, where he will be questioned about whether he had an affair with Heard while she was still married to Depp.

It’s part of an ongoing A$69.2 million defamation lawsuit that Depp has filed against Heard after the pair’s bitter public split.

Depp is suing Heard over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she wrote in which she described being a victim of domestic violence. She didn’t mention Depp by name, but he argues it’s clear she was referring to him as her abuser. Depp denies any abuse.