Topline
Amber Heard formally appealed the verdict in Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit against her Thursday, according to a filing obtained by Forbes, a week after her request for a new trial was denied by a judge.
Actress Amber Heard departs the Fairfax County Courthouse on May 27, 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia. … [+]
Key Facts
A spokesperson for Heard told Forbes they “believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment” and she is appealing the verdict on those grounds.
Depp’s spokesperson told Forbes they “remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand,” noting the jury “came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp in multiple instances.”
Key Background
Depp sued Heard over a 2018 op-ed she wrote in which she described herself as a “public victim representing domestic abuse.” Heard did not name Depp in the piece. She countersued him over claims his lawyer made calling her abuse allegations a hoax. In a trial that lasted from April to June, the two presented wildly different depictions of their relationship. Heard said Depp abused her physically and emotionally. Depp denied doing so and painted Heard as the aggressor. The jury sided with Depp, awarding him $10.4 million in damages. Heard won part of her countersuit and was awarded $2 million. Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft said Heard intended to appeal the verdict shortly after it was decided. Last week, Judge Penney Azcarate rejected Heard’s request for a new trial. Heard’s team had submitted a post-trial motion that included an allegation that one member of the jury was not called to be there, and instead someone who shared his name and address was instead.
Tangent
Heard’s spokesperson said they “realize today’s filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires.” Bot Sentinel, a firm that studies disinformation and harassment on social media, released a report Monday on the way Heard and women who supported her were targeted online, calling it “one of the worst cases of cyberbullying and cyberstalking by a group of Twitter accounts that we’ve ever seen.” The group examined over 14,000 tweets using negative hashtags about Heard, and identified 627 accounts dedicated to harassing Heard and those who rooted for her.
Further Reading
Amber Heard’s Request For New Johnny Depp Trial Rejected By Judge (Forbes)
Johnny Depp Rebuffs Amber Heard’s Calls For New Trial Over False Juror (Forbes)
Amber Heard Says Wrong Juror Appeared In Defamation Trial, Requests New Trial (Forbes)
Amber Heard’s Lawyer Says Actress Can’t Pay $10 Million Judgment To Johnny Depp (Forbes)
Jury Rules Amber Heard Defamed Johnny Depp In Domestic Abuse Op-Ed (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/07/21/amber-heard-appeals-johnny-depp-defamation-verdict/