Amber Heard Trying To Have The Johnny Depp Trial’s Verdict Overturned
Amber Heard’s much-publicized trial against her ex-husband Johnny Depp may have ended this summer, but the legal battle is far from over. Not only has Depp sued Heard to overturn the guilty verdict against him, but according to the New York Times, Heard is planning to counter-sue to get her guilty verdict overturned. The highly visible defamation battle was over allegedly career-ruining public statements Heard made.
The new lawsuit centers around evidence that Amber Heard was not allowed to share during the trial, which she says proves her claims about Johnny Depp’s domestic abuse. She wrote these claims in a 2018 Washington Post opinion essay. Depp denied the claims and said that the essay got him blacklisted from studio films.
Amber Heard was sued for defamation, and Johnny Depp won $15 million after a jury trial. Heard counter-sued Depp for statements his lawyer made about her and won $2 million in return.
Amber Heard’s minor $2 million victory has since been appealed by Johnny Depp. Now, heard has filed her own appeal against the $15 million verdict.
While many people came out both for and against Amber Heard, many of Johnny Depp’s colleagues have vouched for his behavior. Depp has since been cast in two films so far, the historical drama Jeanne du Barry, and the self-directed biopic Modigliani. However, some people’s opinions of the actor turned sour after some of the forbidden evidence was unsealed by Depp fans.
The sealed evidence included notes from Amber Heard’s therapist, texts showing Johnny Depp’s close relationship with Marilyn Manson, and records of Depp allegedly appearing on TV drunk and stoned. The unsealed records also show that Depp’s legal team attempted to enter nude photos of Heard into the public record.
Amber Heard’s 68-page appeal also states that her legal battle against Johnny Depp should have been heard in California, where both parties live. The case was instead heard in Virginia, where the Washington Post’s computer servers are located. According to Heard, the trial’s location on the other side of the country made it difficult to call witnesses, who mostly live in California.
After Amber Heard lost to Johnny Depp, she retreated from public life. She reportedly fled to a foreign country and is living under a false name.
Her financial status took a huge hit. Amber Heard’s lawyers said that she was in no position to pay the full amount awarded to Johnny Depp, seeing that her acting career hasn’t paid her nearly that much money. Plus, her career might be in jeopardy. Much of Heard’s role was reportedly cut from Aquaman 2 following the verdict, and rumors that Heard would appear in the Fast & Furious franchise have since fizzled out. Besides Aquaman 2, the only other film on Heard’s radar is a role the relatively minor thriller In the Fire.
Like all things in the court of law, it will take some time before we find out whether Amber Heard or Johnny Depp will succeed in their appeals. No matter what the outcome, either side can appear the result again — this time in the Virginia supreme court.
