Johnny Depp, Amber Heard again in courtroom for multimillion-dollar, very public defamation trial
The most recent chapter in Hollywood star Johnny Depp’s authorized battle with ex-wife Amber Heard kicks off on Monday as a U.S. defamation trial begins over allegations Heard made about home abuse.
Depp, 58, has sued Heard for $50 million US, saying she defamed him when she penned a 2018 opinion piece within the Washington Submit about being a survivor of home abuse.
The op-ed by no means talked about Depp by title, however Depp’s attorneys have mentioned it was clear Heard was referencing him, and that the piece broken his movie profession and status.
Depp has denied all allegations of abuse, saying in his lawsuit that Heard’s claims had been an “elaborate hoax to generate constructive publicity for Ms. Heard and advance her profession.”
Juror choice is anticipated to start Monday within the case.
Depp desires the Fairfax County jury to search out that Heard knowingly made false claims.
Heard, for her half, will argue that she is shielded, or “immune,” from legal responsibility as a result of her 2018 op-ed on home violence handled a matter of public concern.
“I by no means named him. Slightly, I wrote in regards to the worth girls pay for talking out towards males in energy. I proceed to pay the value, however hopefully when this case concludes, I can transfer on and so can Johnny,” Heard mentioned in a press release launched on Saturday.
The Washington Submit will not be a defendant within the trial.
Depp misplaced libel case in 2020
The U.S. trial comes lower than two years after Depp misplaced a libel case towards The Solar, a British tabloid that labelled him a “spouse beater.” A London Excessive Court docket decide dominated he had repeatedly assaulted Heard and put her in concern for her life.
WATCH | Johnny Depp loses U.Ok. libel go well with:
Johnny Depp has misplaced his courtroom case towards a British tabloid that labelled the actor a “spouse beater.” The decide mentioned he believed the claims had been “considerably true.” 1:52
America is a troublesome discussion board for libel plaintiffs, particularly public figures like Depp, who faces a number of hurdles within the Virginia case. Depp should show by clear and convincing proof that Heard knowingly made false claims.
Underneath English defamation legislation, the individual being sued has the burden of proving their claims had been true.
Depp and Heard met whereas making The Rum Diary in 2011 and married 4 years later. Heard accused Depp of home abuse after submitting for divorce in 2016.
Depp ascended to Hollywood stardom within the Nineteen Nineties with portrayals of loners and outsiders in cult classics equivalent to John Waters’s Cry-Child and Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands.
He turned a family title with the swashbuckling Disney franchise Pirates of the Caribbean, enjoying fan favorite Jack Sparrow.
Heard, 35, is understood for her roles in Aquaman and Justice League. She has introduced her personal libel declare towards Depp, saying he smeared her by calling her a liar.
Heard: Depp had alter ego, ‘the monster’
Heard’s counterclaim can be determined as a part of the trial, which may final for six weeks. Heard is looking for $100 million in damages from Depp, in accordance with courtroom papers.
In her proof to the London Excessive Court docket, Heard mentioned Depp would flip right into a jealous alter ego, “the monster,” after binging on medication and alcohol and had threatened to kill her.
She detailed 14 events of maximum violence when she mentioned the actor choked, punched, slapped, head-butted, throttled and kicked her. The London decide is accepting 12 of those accounts as true.
Following the November 2020 ruling within the London libel trial, Depp was changed with Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen within the third movie within the Incredible Beasts franchise, a spin-off from the Harry Potter books and movies.
