Amber Heard’s lawyers have summed up her defense against the defamation suit filed by her ex-husband Johnny Depp, after six weeks of testimony on graphic allegations and counterclaims of domestic violence.
Key points:
- The judge hearing the case refused to dismiss Heard’s counterclaim against Depp
- Sufficient evidence was presented to the judge for the suit and counterclaim to proceed
- Depp is suing Heard for defamation after she referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Depp’s lawyers responded Tuesday by requesting that Heard’s counterclaim against the Pirates of the Caribbean star be dismissed, but the judge hearing the case in Virginia, near the US capital, refused to do so. ho.
Judge Penney Azcarate said enough evidence had been presented for the case to continue and for both the lawsuit and the counterclaim to finally reach the seven-person jury.
Depp, 58, filed a lawsuit against Heard over an opinion piece she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Heard, 36, who starred in Aquaman, did not name Depp in the opinion piece, but sued her to make it appear that he was a domestic aggressor and is seeking $ 50 million in damages.
Texas-born Heard filed a counterclaim, claiming $ 100 million and alleging “physical violence and rampant abuse” at his hands.
Depp, during his four days in the witness stand, denied ever having beaten Heard or any other woman and claimed that she was the one who was often violent.
Johnny Depp says he injured his middle finger while he and his ex-wife Amber Heard were in Australia in 2015. (Reuters: Evelyn Hockstein)
Perceived lack of “chemistry”
After the judge denied Depp’s lawyers’ dismissal motion, they called his first witness to reply.
Walter Hamada, president of DC Comics-based film production at Warner Brothers, testified about Heard’s contract with the studio for the Aquaman series.
Heard’s legal team has claimed that her role and compensation for Aquaman 2 were harmed by allegedly defamatory comments that Depp’s former lawyer, Adam Waldman, made about her.
Mr. Waldman’s statements are the basis for the defamation suit filed by Heard, which earned $ 1 million for Aquaman and $ 2 million for Aquaman 2.
Hamada said Heard’s compensation for Aquaman 2 was not affected by anything from Waldman or Depp.
He said it was not practical for Warner Brothers to renegotiate contracts, although he acknowledged that the study did so for Aquaman star Jason Momoa.
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp were married in February 2015 and ended their divorce about two years later. (AP: Shawn Thew)
Hamada said there had been “talks” about reformulating Heard’s role in Aquaman 2, but that was due to a perceived lack of “chemistry” between her and her co-star Momoa.
“The reality is that it’s not uncommon in movies that two tracks don’t have chemistry,” he said. “You know it when you see it.”
Millions in lost profits
On Monday, a Hollywood expert called by Heard’s team, Kathryn Arnold, said that Heard’s career was “on the precipice of a meteoric rise” after Aquaman, but that it has been hampered by “a lot of negative publicity “.
Arnold estimated that Heard has suffered between $ 45 million and $ 50 million in lost film and television papers and endorsements.
Depp’s lawyers put experts in the stands before the trial who claimed the plaintiff lost millions due to allegations of abuse, including a $ 22.5 million payday for a sixth installment of Pirates.
Depp filed a defamation suit in the United States after losing a defamation case in London in November 2020 that he filed against The Sun for calling him a “women’s hitter.”
Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard were married in February 2015. Their divorce took place two years later.
Azcarate, the judge, has scheduled for Friday the closing allegations of the case, after which he will go to the jury.
AFP