Amber Heard asks for overturning of defamation verdict in favor of Johnny Depp

Amber Heard, 36, has asked a Virginia judge to overturn the verdict in the defamation lawsuit filed by ex-husband Johnny Depp, 58. The actress’ defense filed a 43-page motion alleging that the evidence presented at the trial does not hold up. .

“Depp proceeded solely on the basis of a theory of defamation by implication, abandoning any claims that Heard’s statements were actually false,” the document reads.

Heard’s attorneys’ motion also argues that juror 15 on the panel may even have been illegally selected, giving the wrong birth date during jury selection -1945 instead of the actual year 1970. It is unknown if the juror actually deliberated. about the case.

“This discrepancy raises the question [de] whether Juror 15 actually received a subpoena to serve as a juror and was properly examined by the court to serve on the jury,” argues the actor’s defense.

The decision was made by seven people — men and women; whites, blacks and Asians; between 20 and 50 years old — who formed the jury. They were chosen because they were considered exempt by the lawyers of both teams. Judge Penney Azcarate has granted Amber Heard’s request and ruled that the identities of these seven people will be kept secret for a year.

Depp won the defamation suit he filed against ex-wife Amber Heard, 36, who accused him of domestic violence, on June 1. According to the decision, the actor should receive US$ 10 million (R$ 53 million) in compensatory damages and US$ 5 million (about R$ 26.6 million) in punitive damages.

However, the actress won part of the lawsuit and, for that, would receive US$ 2 million (R$ 10.6 million), for Depp’s lawyer accused her of making up a story for the police under the direction of her lawyer and advertising.

According to TMZ, in addition, the judge in the case reduced the punitive damages to $5 million for Johnny, as Virginia law limits punitive damages in these cases. As a result, the compensation that the actor is expected to receive from the actress was US$ 8.35 million (R$ 44 million).