Johnny Depp Files Own Countersuit After Amber Heard Appeals Defamation Trial Verdict
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will never officially be finished with their legal battles it seems. On the heels of Heard filing her appeal to the defamation trial after attempting to have the verdict thrown out, Depp is filing his own appeal with the Virginia court.
Heard filed her appeal earlier in the week, with Depp following a day behind. His gripe stems from the $2 million he was found liable for in the original trial as part of Heard's countersuit. Heard, on the other hand, is appealing the $10 million awarded to Depp in the first trial and the $5 million that was awarded in punitive damages, later lowered to $350,000 following Virginia's statutory cap.
According to ET, Depp and his representatives feel that the verdict was "overwhelmingly positive" for the actor and "speak for itself." He's also apparently ready to move on and "heal," though Heard gets the blame for keeping it stagnant.
"If Ms. Heard is determined to pursue further litigation by appealing the verdict, Mr. Depp is filing a concurrent appeal to ensure that the full record and all relevant legal issues are considered by the Court of Appeal," a representative for Depp told the outlet. "The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp, in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand."
The appeals follow Heard's attempt to have the verdict and case thrown out in a mistrial, hoping for a new trial due to a jury fraud claim. Judge Penney S. Azcarate denied the motion, noting that the juror in question still sat for the entire trial, deliberated the case, and then reached a verdict with the other jurors.
"The summons issued to Juror Fifteen listed his legal name and address and no birth date was noted," the judge said. "The court has pulled Juror Fifteen's Jury Questionnaire. Juror Fifteen completed the Jury Questionnaire as himself filling in his proper birth date. The information presented on the Jury Questionnaire matches the information Juror Fifteen provided to the Court...the only evidence before this Court is that this juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the Court's instructions, and orders."
No dates or deadlines are set for the filings yet, so keep an eye on the saga for the next twists it takes. If you've had enough of the Depp-Heard circus, maybe check out some of the other popular, positive news in the world right now, wherever it is.