Amber Heard calls for new defamation trial against Johnny Depp after losing multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit | News about Ant-Man & Art
Amber Heard has asked a Virginia judge to quash her losing conviction against Johnny Depp and request a new court case, claiming that the verdict was not substantiated by evidence during the trial. .
Lawyer for 36 year olds Aquaman star put out a 43-page motion, declaring Depp “conduct only a defamation case by implication, disclaiming any claim that Ms. Heard’s claims are indeed false.”
Calling the ruling “outrageous”, the document continued: “Ms. Heard respectfully requests that this court ignore the jury’s decision in favor of Mr. Depp and go against Ms. Heard in its entirety, dismissing the complaint appeal or replace, request a new trial judgment.”
The case ended on June 1, with the jury finding that one 2018 article Heard wrote for The Washington Postabout her alleged experiences as a domestic abuse survivor, defamed Depp, 59.
A jury of five men and two women unanimously reached a verdict, saying that Depp had proven all elements of defamation.
They also found most of Heard’s allegations to be false and felt they were defamatory.
Depp, who sued Heard for $50m (£38.2m), was awarded $10.35m (£8.2m) in damages, a figure that Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft has could “absolutely not” be able to pay, and in the filing is known as an “irresistible” figure.
The amount was later reduced by judge Penney Azcarate to $350,000 (£293,000) under the state limit.
Heard, who sued the Pirates of the Caribbean star for $100m (£76.4m), won on one count, successfully arguing that one of Depp’s lawyers defamed her with calling her allegations “an abusive hoax” intended to take advantage of the #MeToo Movement.
The jury awarded her $2 million (£1.5 million) in punitive damages.
Read more: Depp v Heard: Key evidence from six weeks of ‘soap opera’ trial
In the petition, questions were also asked about “inconsistencies” in a jury member’s recorded age, citing “potentially inappropriate jury service.”
According to the papers filed, the 15th Jury is listed on file as being born in 1945, however Heard’s attorneys say “public information demonstrates that he appears to have been born in 1970”.
Heard’s appeal also claims the jury did not have enough evidence to reason that Depp lost the film roles after her casting.
During the trial, the jury said that due to Heard’s article in the Washington Post, Depp had not been asked to reprise the role of Jack Sparrow in the sixth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Responding to Heard’s call for sentencing to be made, Depp’s lawyers said the offer was “what we expected, just longer [and] no longer real”.
At the time of the June ruling, Depp’s legal team said they were extremely grateful to the jury and that it was a victory for “truth and justice”.
Depp said he felt “peaceful” and “really humbled” after winning the case, adding that his decision to pursue the case “was only made after careful thought” and his goals. he is “revealing the truth, whatever the outcome”.
However, after appearing in court for all the evidence, Depp was not present to make the judgment, instead toured the UK with musician Jeff Beck.
Read more: Depp v Heard: How does online abuse of Amber Heard become acceptable?
Heard has said she is “disappointed” by the results, calling it a “step backwards” for all women.
Her lawyers had previously stated that she would appeal the decision, saying she had “excellent grounds” to do so because there was “too much” evidence that was not included in the trial.
Heard’s attorney also said she was “completely incapable” of paying Depp’s initial $10.35 million.
Judge Azcarate had said that Heard would have to place an $8.35m (£7m) bond before any appeal could proceed.
The initial court case lasted six weeks and required multiple witnesses, experts and testimony from Depp and Heard themselves.