The past few weeks have been a dizzying world in entertainment news, as the TV and film industry has come to a screeching halt over COVID-19 concerns. But that's not the only story dominating the new cycle, as the ongoing legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continues to take twists and turns. There was recently a new development, one that is good news for Depp's case.
Johnny Depp is currently suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million over defamation, following allegations against abuse during their marriage. As their legal proceedings continue to get complicated and involve actors like Winona Ryder and Paul Bettany, the latest turn of events is quite the victory for Depp and his legal team, as his defamation lawsuit in Virginia is set to move forward and still go to trial.
This news comes to us from Yahoo!, and is just the latest update in the long-standing legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. The actor's defamation suit against his ex is in response to an op-ed Heard published in 2018. Fairfax County Chief Judge Bruce White was convinced that at least three of the claims made against Heard are actionable under defamation by implication. As such, the two should prepare to head to court in Virginia, where the defamation case is currently being processed.
While this is seemingly a victory for Johnny Depp and a loss for Amber Heard, the actress' legal team responded to the judge's decision, and the case's future in court. The statement by attorney Roberta Kaplan reads:
Today’s decision leaves it to a jury to decide the meaning of Ms. Heard’s op-ed and the truth of what she said. As we have said all along, the courts have strong mechanisms in place for determining the truth. Here, we remain confident that Ms. Heard will prevail at trial when the jury is presented with evidence on the question that the Court identified — namely, whether ‘Ms. Heard was abused by Mr. Depp.
The ongoing legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard isn't going to end any time soon, with the defamation case being just one piece of a larger legal puzzle. Heard first filed for divorce and a restraining order back in 2016, citing allegations of Depp's abuse and substance issues. The two found a settlement for their separation, but the Pirates of the Caribbean actor eventually filed his defamation suit in response to his ex-wife's now infamous op-ed in The Washington Post.
The public has been following the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's legal battle for years, and it looks like that will continue as the aforementioned defamation case makes its way to trial. We'll just have to see if other members of Hollywood are asked to weigh in as the proceedings continue. Regardless, it's seemingly going to be a very public affair.
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