Tag Archives: johnny depp

News

Amber Heard’s insurance refuses to pay $8m damages as she ‘wilfully’ defamed Johnny Depp

Since the actress “wilfully” defamed” Johnny Depp, Amber Heard’s insurance company claims that it is not required to pay a part of the $8 million in damages due to him.

Amber Heard's insurance company is refusing to cover part of the $8.3million in damages the actress owes ex-husband Johnny Depp following her defamation trial in May

The Aquaman actress was found guilty of defaming her ex-husband Depp after she published a 2018 article about experiencing domestic abuse, and she was sentenced to pay him $15 million (£12 million) in compensation and punitive damages as a result.

Heard’s countersuit for $100 million (£83 million) was successful on one count, and she was awarded damages of $2 million (£1.6 million), bringing her total obligation to the 59-year-old to over $8 million (£6.6 million).

Consequently, the 36-year-old was hopeful that her $1 million (£800,000) liability policy with New York Marine and General Insurance Co. would save her from having to pay the amount.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that the policy covers a variety of wrongful acts, including defamation, TMZ pointed out that under California law, which controls the policy, an insurance company is not obligated to pay if the insured party engaged in wrongful, willful misbehavior.

The company stated that in addition to the jury finding Amber guilty of intentional defamation, it was also determined that her actions were malicious.

New York Marine are currently asking the judge to rule that, in accordance with their policy and the law, they are not obligated to cover the Danish Girl star’s damages.

After losing the defamation case, Amber’s attorneys are now asking the court to declare a “mistrial,” alleging juror “error.”

According to the actress’s legal team’s filing, a 77-year-old who was summoned for jury duty really appears to reside at the same location as a 52-year-old with “the same surname” and was the juror actually seated during the trial.

Amber recently said that she could see why some could brand her and her ex-husband as “Hollywood brats” for taking their disputes to court, but she stressed that the case involved much more than just a former couple exposing their dirty laundry in public.

Johnny Depp during the trial

Speaking to NBC Today journalist Savannah Guthrie during her first TV interview after losing the court battle, she admitted: ‘I would not blame the average person for looking at this and how this has been covered and thinking that this is Hollywood brats at their worst.

‘But what people don’t understand is that it is actually so much bigger than that. This is not only about our First Amendment right to speak.’ The 36-year-old celebrity added that she was shocked by the “vitriol” directed at her on social media. She also insisted that she spotted Johnny’s supporters waving banners with death threats outside the courthouse.

Amber Heard interview with Savannah Guthrie on TODAY June 15 2022

‘Every single day I passed three, four, sometimes six city blocks lined with people holding signs saying ‘Burn the witch’ and ‘Death to Amber’,’ she claimed.

‘After three-and-a-half weeks I took the stand and saw a courtroom packed full of Captain Jack Sparrow fans who were vocal, energized.’

Source: dailymail.co.uk

News

Johnny Depp’s attorneys ask the judge to deny Amber Heard’s request for a mistrial

Regardless of whether Amber Heard’s new claims of juror discrepancy are true or not, Johnny Depp rejected her request for the judge who presided over their joint defamation lawsuit to declare a mistrial.

After claiming that a 77-year-old had been called to court to serve on the jury but that a 52-year-old residing at the same home had actually turned up and participated, Heard’s defense team asked for a mistrial.

Depp Heard Lawsuit

These “newly found facts,” according to her legal team, should cause the defamation trial verdict to be thrown out, and a new trial should be held.

A piece Heard wrote for the Washington Post in 2018 about becoming a public figure representing domestic abuse has been the focal point of the trial involving the two actors.

Johnny Depp asks judge to deny Amber Heard's 'frivolous' request for mistrial

Although Depp was not specifically mentioned in the story, he insisted it was defamatory because it implied he had assaulted her while they were married.

Heard was ordered to pay around $10 million in damages to Depp at the conclusion of the trial, and he was ordered to pay her $2 million.

According to E! News, Depp has now responded with a request that the motion for a mistrial is struck down.

Johnny Depp was awarded more than $10 million in damages from Amber Heard. Credit: Alamy

According to Depp’s legal team, Heard’s attorneys “had more than enough time” to look into the potential jurors, and the person who ended up on the panel after another was summoned was still “competent to serve as a juror.”

Additionally, they claimed that the request for a mistrial was made on July 8—seven days after the deadline set by the court for a challenge to the verdict.

The filing of Depp’s official response said: “Though understandably displeased with the outcome of the trial, Ms. Heard has identified no legitimate basis to set aside in any respect the jury’s decision.

“Mr. Depp respectfully submits that the Court should deny Ms. Heard’s Post-Trial Motions, which verge into the frivolous.”

Amber Heard. Credit: Alamy

Heard had previously challenged the defamation trial’s decision, and her legal team argued that one of the three remarks that had been determined to be defamatory of Depp was not actually written by her.

They contend that the headline shouldn’t be used against the actor because she didn’t write it.

Heard retweeted the piece after it was published, according to Depp’s counsel, and it counts as “actionable republication.”

Johnny Depp asks judge to throw out Amber Heard's request for a new trial over fake juror claim | The Independent

After being sued by an insurance company over the outcome of the defamation trial, the Aquaman star is now dealing with further problems.

The New York Marine and General Insurance Company, who insured her at the time she wrote the Washington Post story, is suing her because they feel they shouldn’t be responsible for paying for the costs of the trial or her damages.

Source: unilad.co

Stories

Amber Heard calls for mistrial in Johnny Depp case claims the wrong juror showed up to court

Heard’s legal team has submitted a new request for a new trial, claiming to have found the wrong juror had responded to the summons. In the Johnny Depp defamation case, Amber Heard is requesting a mistrial after it was allegedly found by her legal team that one of the jurors who rendered a verdict was never really called for jury duty.

According to PEOPLE, the 36-year-old Aquaman actor’s legal team asserts that the incorrect juror appeared at the well-publicized defamation trial between the two stars in new records filed with the Circuit Court of Fairfax County.

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Depp’s allegations against his ex-wife were based on something Heard had written in a 2018 op-ed that appeared in The Washington Post.

Heard described herself as “a public figure symbolizing domestic abuse” in the article. Despite the fact that he was never specifically identified in the piece, Depp’s attorneys claimed that it defamed him and damaged his career and reputation.

The lengthy defamation trial was finally over on June 1 after six weeks, with a unanimous verdict in favor of Depp from the Virginia jury, who received a total of $10.35 million in damages. Heard’s counterclaim was granted $2 million.

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Heard’s legal team has since claimed that Juror No. 15 was a mistake and that their client is entitled to a mistrial.

Juror No. 15 was not the person summoned for jury duty on April 11, 2022, according to the records, which indicate that “newly discovered facts and information” demonstrate this.

Heard’s attorneys claim that juror No. 15 was actually 77 years old at the time and shared an address with a person who was 52 years old. But according to the actress’ legal team, the younger person, not the 77-year-old, showed up in court to serve as a juror in the case.

Heard’s lawyers state in the filing: “It is deeply troubling for an individual not summoned for jury duty nonetheless to appear for jury duty and serve on a jury, especially in a such as this” – highlighting the “high-profile” status of the Depp v. Heard trial, “where the fact and date of the jury trial were highly publicized prior to and after the issuance of the juror summonses.”

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard during their defamation trial in Fairfax, Va.

According to PEOPLE, the chosen jurors from Fairfax County are local residents who are registered to vote, and information from their voter registrations includes their names, birthdays, and addresses.

Heard’s legal team now requests that a mistrial be declared and that “a fresh trial be ordered” so that the actress can receive the full “due process” that she is entitled to.

The application was made a little more than a week after Heard’s legal team asked for an entirely new trial.

Amber Heard asks for mistrial after alleging juror mix-up | The Star

Heard’s legal team stated in a long brief on July 1 that the defamation trial’s initial verdict had multiple problems, including insufficient reasoning, an unsuitable jury, and overly awarded damages.

The case, according to attorney Elaine Bredehoft, was founded on erroneous legal reasoning since Depp’s accusations “proceeded purely on a defamation by implication approach, abandoning any arguments that Ms. Heard’s statements were truly incorrect.”

Bredehoft also asserted that although Depp’s legal team had previously stated that the highly-publicized case will center on the time following Heard’s 2018 op-publication, ed’s it actually encompassed incidents and statements dating back to 2016.

Amber Heard Reveals Post-Trial Plans and Why She Still Loves Johnny Depp

Another section looks at the actor’s anonymity in Heard’s op-ed, which was a common defense during the defamation trial.

Bredehoft further explained that Depp isn’t entitled to damages for any conduct before the op-ed, while it also indicates “the verdicts on the complaint and counterclaim are inconsistent and therefore should be set aside,” and that Depp “did not present evidence of actual malice”.

Amber Heard steps up call for retrial with claims of 'improper juror service' | Gazette Series

Bredehoft concluded by stating: “Ms. Heard respectfully requests this Court to set aside the jury verdict in favor of Mr. Depp and against Ms. Heard in its entirety, dismiss the Complaint, or in the alternative, order a new trial.

“Ms. Heard further requests this Court to investigate potential improper juror service and take appropriate action warranted by the results of the investigation.”

Source: vt.co

News

Johnny Depp donates $800,000 to various children’s hospitals after winning Amber Heard’s Trial

After winning his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp has generously donated to a children’s hospital in Australia. The 59-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean actor testified throughout the six-week trial before the decision was made last month.

Johnny Depp has made a donation to the Perth Children's Hospital Foundation through the sale of NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Pictured with his attorney Camille Vasquez during the defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard on May 19

The 36-year-old Aquaman actress Heard was sued by her ex-husband because of an op-ed she published for the Washington Post in 2018 on her experiences with domestic violence without mentioning him.

After the shocking six-week legal proceeding, a jury found in favor of Depp, paying him $10 million of the $50 million he sought, while Heard was awarded $2 million in damages after winning one count of her $100 million countersuits.

The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory actor has donated $800,000 USD ($1,173,548 AUD) to a number of organizations, including the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, in an apparent attempt to move past the traumatic events.

The actor, 59, has donated nearly $800,000 USD ($1,173,548 AUD) to various charities through the sale of NFTs (non-fungible tokens), including the Perth Children's Hospital Foundation (pictured)

The money for Depp’s donation came from the sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), with his NFT community—called Never Fear Truth—dividing the proceeds among several charities.

Additionally, they gave to the Footprint Coalition, the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

The group tweeted their announcement and stated that they were “pleased to confirm” their total donations to the charities in need, adding that “Johnny Depp’s Never Fear Truth NFT sale was always intended to help charities.”

Depp's NFT community called Never Fear Truth has split the donations between the Perth Children's Hospital Foundation, the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, the Footprint Coalition and the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

Perth’s Children’s Hospital Foundation showed appreciation to the actor and his NFT community on Twitter, writing: ‘Thank you so much for your generosity in helping support @PCHFWA and WA sick kids. These funds will make a significant impact in helping keep @PerthChildrens world-class for our children and families.’

Depp's Never Fear Truth NFT community allows him to sell artwork with his fans. In a tweet on July 6, Depp's NFT community announced they had donated $800,000 (USD) in total to various charities
Perth Children's Hospital Foundation thanked the actor's NFT community for their generosity in a tweet on July 7

Currently, Heard’s attorneys, who have appealed the verdict in her recent defamation trial and asked to have it tossed out or to start a new case, are pressuring Depp and his legal team.

US actress Amber Heard arrives at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 24, 2022. - Actor Johnny Depp is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. (Photo by JIM WATSON / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Elaine Bredehoft, Heard’s attorney, said that the seven-person jury’s “dueling” judgments were “inconsistent and irreconcilable,” and that there were problems with their reliability.

Source: metro.co.uk

News

Lawyers Say that Johnny Depp Could Seize Amber Heard’s Assets If She Fails To Pay Court-Ordered Damages

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s trial is done, but the news about the former pair never stops because of the possibility that her assets could be taken and transferred to her ex-husband as a result of her financial problems. Heard is looking for money to compensate Depp for his victory in the defamation case.

Elaine Bredehoft, Heard’s attorney, stated that the Aquaman actress cannot pay Depp the $10.4 million ($AUD 14.3 million, £8.2 million) in damages that the court had imposed, but Virginia appellate attorney Steven Emmert said Depp can look into alternative methods to recoup costs. 

Heard faces off with Depp in court. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo

“If she doesn’t have the money, then his avenue, while she’s pursuing an appeal, is to try to execute on property she owns,” he told the New York Post.

This would require Depp to serve his ex-wife with a summons in order to learn about her current financial situation.

Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard verdict Updates: Jury awards Johnny Depp $15 million in damages in his libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard - The Economic Times

“[This is] where you summon the debtor to come to a court and his lawyer would get to ask her questions saying ‘what property do you own, what real estate do you own, what vehicles do you own, what jewelry do you own, what art collections’,” Emmert told the Post.

He added: “[And] anything else that they could use to grab and sell at auction to try to pay down and pay off, ultimately, this judgment.”

In June, the judge ordered Heard to pay Depp $5 million in punitive damages and $10 million ($AUD 6.8 million, £7.9 million) in compensatory damages.

Elaine Bredehoft and Amber Heard. Credit: REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo

However, in compliance with Virginia’s statutory cap, Judge Penney Azcarate decreased punitive penalties to the state’s maximum of $350,000 ($AUD 481,000, £278,000).

Heard must now pay Depp a total of $10.35 million ($14.2 million AUD, £8.2 million).

In addition, Depp was ordered to pay Heard $2 million ($2.7 million AUD, £1.5 million) in response to a counterclaim she filed.

The damages follow the widely reported defamation court case in which a jury determined that Heard did falsely accuse her husband in an opinion piece for The Washington Post titled: “I spoke out against sexual violence and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”

Does Amber Heard have enough money to pay off Johnny Depp? It can also go bankrupt.

The Aquaman actor, nevertheless, might be seeking further legal means to carry on the court’s conflict.

Heard’s attorney asked that the jury’s decision in the widely reported defamation case be either overturned or dismissed, or that a new trial should proceed, in a 43-page filing to the Virginia court on Friday, July 1.

Bredehoft said in the latest petition that Heard must pay an amount that is “excessive as a matter of law” because the jury’s finding was unsupported by any evidence.

Source: ladbible.com

News

Amber Heard wants to toss the verdict or order a new trial in the Johnny Depp case, citing issues with award and jury

Amber Heard is attempting to appeal or overturn the June judgment in the well-known defamation case she and her ex-husband Johnny Depp were involved in.

The Aquaman actress’ legal team cited a number of flaws with the decision in a lengthy filing in Virginia court on Friday, including inadequate legal reasoning, an improperly screened jury, and overly awarded damages.

Amber Heard was ordered to pay Johnny Depp over $10m in damages. Credit: Alamy

After finding Heard guilty of defaming Depp by making allegations of domestic abuse in a 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post, the jury decided in Depp’s favor last month and ordered her to pay the Pirates of the Caribbean actor $15 million in damages.

Heard was granted $2 million in damages via a counterclaim when the judge eventually decided to cap the charges at $10.35 million.

Elaine Bredehoft stated in the latest filing that the amount Heard must pay is disproportionate as a matter of law because the jury’s finding was unsupported by any evidence.

The Johnny Depp–Amber Heard Verdict Is Chilling | The New Yorker

She further asserted that Depp’s damages were not attributable to the op-ed because his legal team concentrated on incidents that occurred in 2016.

Another piece examines the actor’s anonymity in the Washington Post article, which was a point of contention during the current trial.

Bredehoft’s arguments include the claims that Depp is not entitled to compensation for any actions taken before the op-ed, that “Depp did not show evidence of genuine malice,” and that “the verdicts on the complaint and counterclaim are irreconcilable and consequently should be set aside.”

Bredehoft concludes by stating: “Ms. Heard respectfully requests this Court to set aside the jury verdict in favor of Mr. Depp and against Ms. Heard in its entirety, dismiss the Complaint, or in the alternative, order a new trial. 

“Ms. Heard further requests this Court to investigate potential improper juror service and take appropriate action warranted by the results of the investigation.”

Heard’s publicist Alafair Hall told The New York Times shortly after the decision was made in early June that she intended to appeal, though it was unclear at the time on what legal grounds she would do so.

In a statement made public after the decision, Heard made it apparent she was not happy with the outcome of the case, calling herself “disappointed” and asserting that there was a “mountain of evidence” to support her claims.

This week Amber Heard’s perjury investigation also continues in Australia amid Depp trial

“I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband,” Heard wrote.

The latest appeal, according to Depp’s attorney, was “what we expected, just longer, no more substantive,” told Courthouse News.

Source: ladbible.com