Amber Heard's lawyer confirms that the actor will appeal the defamation trial verdict, claiming that
Three assertions in a 2018 op-ed written by Amber Heard, in which she claimed she was an abuse victim, were found to have defamed Johnny Depp, according to the verdict given down Wednesday in Fairfax County Circuit Court.
Amber Heard's lawyer said Thursday that her ex-husband Johnny Depp's legal team "demonised" her and excoriated her on social media during a spectacular defamation trial that culminated with a jury ordering her to pay Depp $15 million.
One of Heard's lead attorneys during the trial, Elaine Bredehoft, feels the jury was swayed by a deluge of social media remarks criticising her and praising Depp. Heard, she added, intends to appeal.
"These folks were threatening to kill her." They threatened to put her baby in the microwave. On CBS Mornings, Bredehoft remarked, "This is the kind of social media she was getting."
The simplest way to describe the vibe here is that it was like a Roman coliseum. And I have to trust that the jury, despite being warned not to look at anything, has weekends, families, and social media," she remarked.
"Oh, no, certainly not," Bredehoft replied on Today when asked if Heard has the money to pay the $10.35 million.
In her countersuit, the jury awarded Heard $2 million, deciding that she was defamed by a lawyer for Depp, who accused her of fabricating a complex hoax surrounding the allegations of abuse.
The case fascinated viewers who followed gavel-to-gavel television coverage, as well as ardent social media followers who scrutinised the performers' demeanors, outfit choices, and drug and alcohol use.
Despite the fact that the case was allegedly about libel, the majority of the testimony centred on whether Heard had been physically and sexually abused as she claimed. Heard detailed more than a dozen alleged assaults, including a fight in Australia when Depp lost the tip of his middle finger and Heard said she was sexually attacked with a liquor bottle while filming a Pirates of the Caribbean sequel.
Heard's counsel pointed to years-old text messages Depp sent apologising to Heard for his behaviour as well as vulgar texts he wrote to a friend in which Depp indicated he wanted to kill Heard and violate her dead body, despite Depp's claim that he never hit her.
Both performers have a bleak future ahead of them. Depp, a three-time Oscar candidate for best actor, was a bankable star until recently, with roles such as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. However, he was replaced in a Fantastic Beasts spinoff after losing his part.
Heard's acting career has been relatively modest, and her only two upcoming parts are in a minor film and the Aquaman sequel, both of which are set to be released next year.
Depp made himself a more believable witness by admitting to drug and alcohol usage and that he could be a tough guy, according to Brett Ward, a family law attorney in New York. However, he said that Depp ran the risk of making those moments more famous than his film work.
"He claims he did it for his kids." "After watching the entire trial, I don't believe he did his children any favours by airing all of this dirty laundry," Ward remarked.