Entertainment
Johnny Depp’s lawyers hit back at Amber Heard’s ‘frivolous’ appeal after trial: ‘There’s no legitimate basis’-Louise Griffin-Entertainment – Metro
Heard’s lawyers requested a mistrial.
Johnny Depp’s lawyers have said there is ‘no legitimate basis’ for Amber Heard’s appeal (Picture Reuters/Getty Images)
Johnny Depp’s lawyers have said there’s ‘no legitimate basis’ for Amber Heard’s appeal after he won his defamation case against her.
Last month, the 36-year-old Aquaman star was found by a unanimous seven-person jury in Fairfax, Virginia, to have defamed her Pirates Of The Caribbean actor ex-husband in a Washington Post article in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse.
While Depp, 59, wasn’t named in the article, his lawyers argued the piece was defamatory against the actor and the court awarded him $15million (£12m) in compensatory and punitive damages.
Heard won one count of her $100m (£83m) countersuit, and was given damages of $2m (£1.6m), meaning she has to pay the 59-year-old $8m (£6.6m).
Heard’s attorneys requested a mistrial – but Depp’s lawyers have hit back.
Documents obtained by Deadline state: ‘Following a six-week jury trial, a jury of Ms Heard’s peers rendered a verdict against her in virtually all respects.
‘Though understandably displeased with the outcome of trial, Ms Heard has identified no legitimate basis to set aside in any respect the jury’s decision.
Amber Heard is appealing the verdict (Picture: JIM WATSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
‘Virginia law is clear that a verdict is not to be set aside unless it is “plainly wrong or without evidence to support it.”‘
It continues: ‘Here, the verdict was well-supported by the overwhelming evidence, consistent with the law, and should not be set aside.
‘Mr Depp respectfully submits that the court should deny Ms Heard’s Post-Trial Motions, which verge into the frivolous.’
Depp won the defamation trial (Picture: Cliff Owen/Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images)
After previously alleging that there were issues with the jury’s credibility, now Heard’s lawyers are alleging that the wrong juror was seated at the trial.
Deadline reported that a 77-year-old individual was called up for jury duty but appears to live at the same address as a 52-year-old with ‘the same surname’, who was the juror actually seated throughout the trial.
The news comes just days after Heard’s team also alleged that Depp was not entitled to any damages he was awarded because ‘there is no evidence of damage to Mr. Depp’s reputation caused by Mrs. Heard’s Op-Ed’.
Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft previously confirmed that they would be appealing the decision, and said that the Justice League actress was unable to pay the $8m awarded to her former partner.
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Amber Heard for comment.
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