Amber Heard has requested that the verdict in the Johnny Depp defamation trial be overturned, and a new trial be ordered.
The actress stated that the decision, which returned on June 1 in favour of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor, was not supported by the evidence presented over the six-week trial.
In filed documents, Amber’s lawyers also argued that investigations should be launched into “improper juror service.”
“The verdict is excessive as a matter of law in light of the evidence and law, and should be set aside,” the documents stated.
“For all the reasons set forth above, and for the reasons set forth on the record during the hearings and at trial, in the Motions in Limine and Motions to Strike, Ms Heard respectfully requests this Court to set aside the jury verdict in favour 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,” they continued.
Amber’s lawyers have claimed that one of the jurors was not correctly vetted, and information was “inconsistent.”
“The information on the jury panel list appears to be inconsistent with the identity and demographics of one of the Jurors,” the document, signed by the actress’ defence Elaine Bredehoft, stated.
“Juror No 15 was apparently born in 1970, not 1945, as reported to and relied upon by the parties – including Ms Heard – in selecting a jury panel.”
Elaine Bredehoft previously vowed that the ‘Aquaman’ star would appeal the decision that found her guilty of defaming her ex-husband in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed.
Johnny, 58, launched a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife in 2019, after she wrote about being an alleged victim of domestic violence in the op-ed.
Following a six-week trial and 13 hours of deliberations, the jury sided with Depp and awarded him $10 million in compensatory damages, and a further $5 million in punitive damages.
However, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages to $350,000, which is the State of Virginia’s legal limit, resulting in total damages of $10.4 million awarded to Johnny.
Following the verdict, Amber’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft revealed the actress is “absolutely not” able to pay that much in damages to Johnny.
She has since shared their plans to appeal the verdict, as she claimed “a number of things were allowed in this court that should not have been allowed”.
The attorney also blamed the verdict on a “number of evidentiary issues”, saying “there was so much evidence that did not come in.”
During the six-week long trial, Amber detailed multiple incidents of alleged abuse, and told the court that “violence became normal” towards the end of their relationship.
However, Johnny testified that he never hit his ex-wife, and claimed that she was the abuser in their relationship.
In court, the 58-year-old said the allegations that he was a “drunken, cocaine-fueled menace who beat women” have cost him “everything”.
Johnny and Amber first met in 2009 on the set of the film The Rum Diary, and were married in February 2015.
Their divorce was finalised two years later.
