Amber Heard appeals for new defamation trial

Web Desk

06th Dec, 2022. 05:31 am
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Johnny Depp won a defamation case against Amber Heard, who accused him of abuse.
The court battle continues in Virginia.
True claims aren’t false and harmful.

Johnny Depp won a defamation case against Amber Heard, who accused him of abuse. Later, he appeared in a fashion show backed by Rihanna and an awards show where he joked about his ruined career.

The court battle continues in Virginia.

Ms. Heard’s lawyers appealed a jury’s 2018 verdict that she slandered ex-husband Johnny Depp by calling herself a “public figure symbolising domestic abuse” Mr. Depp, who was unnamed, won $10 million.

True claims aren’t false and harmful. Even while the case was legally based on Ms. Heard’s article, most of the trial was about whether her claims that Mr. Depp punched, head-butted, and sexually assaulted her were real.

Mr. Depp refuted Ms. Heard’s assertions, saying she began their conflicts.

Ms. Heard’s lawyers presented legal problems in their 68-page appeal. They stated the trial was in the wrong state and disagreed with the judge’s decision to toss out evidence, such as therapist notes showing abuse claims were factual at the time they were written. They wanted the jury’s judgement overturned, Mr. Depp’s claims dismissed, or a fresh trial.

“The trial court wrongly prohibited the jury from considering Heard’s abuse,” lawyers said.

Depp’s lawyers have also appealed. Ms. Heard won $2 million from Mr. Depp’s lawyer for slander. Mr. Depp’s case is over.

In a November court statement, Mr. Depp’s lawyers wrote, “The jury’s unambiguous verdict in Mr. Depp’s favour on all three defamation charges restored his reputation.”

Ms. Heard’s piece made it “impossible” to cast Mr. Depp in a studio film, his manager said. Mr. Depp’s career prospects dropped when Ms. Heard received a restraining order against him for violence. Ms. Heard’s lawyers said he was late to sets and forgot lines.