Names and faces
■ “The Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown and his ex-wife are settling a lawsuit in which she accused him of leading a secret life during their marriage that included several affairs. The couple agreed to voluntary dismiss the lawsuit and “any and all claims and counterclaims in this matter,” according to court papers filed Monday in a New Hampshire court. “Blythe Brown and Dan Brown have reached an amicable resolution of their disagreements, and will have no further comment,” Blythe Brown’s attorney Harvey Wolkoff said in a statement. “They request that their desire for privacy and closure be respected.” No further details on the settlement were provided. In her lawsuit filed last year, Blythe Brown called her ex-husband’s behavior “unlawful and egregious” and accused the bestselling author of secretly diverting funds to pay for gifts to an unnamed horse trainer. Blythe Brown also claimed credit for inspiring much of his work and coming up with the premise for “The Da Vinci Code.” She also alleged that Brown hid scores of future projects worth “millions” from her, including a television series as well as a children’s book. At the time of the lawsuit, Dan Brown said he was “stunned” by the allegations and called the complaint “written without regard for the truth.” He said he never misled his ex-wife on their finances during their divorce and that she ended up with half their holdings after they split up. The couple divorced in 2019 after 21 years of marriage. Dan Brown, a New Hampshire native, has had a string of bestsellers but is best known for “The Da Vinci Code,” a puzzle-filled thriller that introduced readers to the notion that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married with children.
■ Actress Amber Heard has named her new dog after Australia’s outspoken Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, following a battle with the politician over pet quarantine during a visit to the country in 2015. “Meet the newest member of the Heard family, Barnaby Joyce!” Heard tweeted on Sunday, with a photo of her holding a large dog. The skirmish six years ago was over the quarantine of two other pets during a trip Down Under by Heard and then husband Johnny Depp. Joyce, at the time the agriculture minister, captured global headlines when he threatened to have Heard’s and Depp’s dogs — Pistol and Boo — euthanized after learning that they had been smuggled into the country on a private jet without being declared. Joyce said they shouldn’t be exempt from quarantine laws just because Depp had been voted “the Sexiest Man Alive twice.” Depp later labeled Joyce “some kind of sweaty, big-gutted man from Australia.” Heard and Depp later recorded a video expressing remorse for their actions and noting the importance of Australian biosecurity laws.