Celebrity
Amber Heard Calls For New Trial Against Johnny Depp
It’s argued Depp didn’t present evidence of actual malice.
Amber Heard is now calling for a new trial against Johnny Depp. On July 1st, the actress’s legal team requested the verdict made by jurors in the just-concluded defamation case be overturned or dismissed, or a new trial should be launched. In a 43-page filing to the Virginia court, Elaine Bredehoft argued the sum Heard must pay is excessive as a matter of law as there’s no evidence to support the verdict.
Elaine, Heard’s lawyer, also said the damages to Depp weren’t due to the op-ed as his legal team focused on events dating back to 2016.
A section equally discussed that The Washington Post article doesn’t name the actor, an argument repeatedly made during the trial. The arguments Elaine brought forward included the suggestion that Depp, 59, isn’t entitled to damages for any conduct before the op-ed and also suggested the verdicts on the complaint and counterclaim are inconsistent.
Due to the latter, Elaine argued the verdict should be set aside & that Depp didn’t present evidence of actual malice.
Elaine concluded: “Ms. Heard respectfully requests this Court to set aside the jury verdict in favor of Mr. Depp and against Ms. Heard in its entirety, dismiss the Complaint, or in the alternative, order a new trial. Ms. Heard further requests this Court to investigate potential improper juror service and take appropriate action warranted by the results of the investigation.”
In June, the jury had ruled in favor of Depp, ordering Heard to pay the actor $15 million in damages over domestic abuse claims she made in a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post, which they agreed defamed Depp.
Shortly after the verdict, Heard’s spokesperson Alafair Hall announced the plans to appeal in a statement to The New York Times. Heard also made it clear she wasn’t satisfied with the result of the trial in a statement released following the verdict, describing herself as disappointed and arguing there was a mountain of evidence to back up her claims.
However, Depp’s attorney has dismissed the recent appeal, telling Courthouse News it was “what we expected, just longer, no more substantive.”
