Famous couples have enthralled the public as long as celebrities have been around. But there's definitely a downside to being a public figure, especially when it comes to divorces and litigation. Amber Heard and Johnny Depp know this all too well, as the former couple has been making headlines for years as a result of their very messy split. Depp recently lost a request to appeal the decision of his libel case against The Sun, and now Heard's legal team has responded to the latest turn of events.
Over the past few months Amber Heard and Johnny Depp have had a very public legal battle. It started when Depp sued the U.K. publication The Sun for referring to the actor as a "wife beater" in their coverage of the split. He tried to appeal his loss in court, but most recently lost that request. Now Heard's legal team has responded to this latest legal victory, reading:
We are pleased — but by no means surprised — by the Court's denial of Mr. Depp’s application for appeal. The evidence presented in the UK case was overwhelming and undeniable. To reiterate, the original verdict was that Mr. Depp committed domestic violence against Amber on no fewer than 12 occasions and she was left in fear of her life. The verdict and lengthy, well-reasoned Judgment, including the Confidential Judgment, have been affirmed. Mr. Depp's claim of new and important evidence was nothing more than a press strategy, and has been soundly rejected by the Court.
Well, there you have it. While we'll have to see if Johnny Depp continues to fight the verdict made across the pond, the rejection of his appeal application certainly makes things look grim. Only time will tell how this ruling ultimately affects Depp's upcoming defamation case against Amber Heard.
The statement from Amber Heard's legal team issued to Yahoo! seems to indicate that they're feeling confident about the ongoing litigation with Johnny Depp. But there's months of time in court still left to come, so it's far from over. Still, Depp's loss in his libel case against The Sun has already resulted in some major professional implications.
For his part, Johnny Depp's legal team issued their own statement in response to the recent shake-up. It reads:
The evidence presented at last week's hearing (the appeal of Mr. Depp vs. News Group Newspapers LTD) further demonstrates that there are clear and objective reasons to seriously question the decision reached in the UK court. Mr. Depp looks forward to presenting the complete, irrefutable evidence of the truth in the US libel case against Ms. Heard where she will have to provide full disclosure.
Shortly after The Sun came out on top in the libel case, Warner Bros. asked Johnny Depp to step down from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. This was just as the actor was set to film, with Mads Mikkelsen quickly brought in as a replacement. There's also plans to continue the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise without Depp's Jack Sparrow.
As for Amber Heard, she's still set to star in Aquaman 2. What's more, she recently reprised her role as Mera in Zack Snyder's Justice League, participating in reshoots for the new Knightmare sequence. Supporters of Depp have assembled a popular petition to have Heard removed from the DCEU, due to the allegations of abuse that he's thrown her way.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal battles show no signs of slowing down, so we'll have to see how it shakes up and possibly affects their careers. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.
