It's now official: Amber Heard has appealed the unfavorable decision of her defamation lawsuit against Johnny Depp.
The actress had announced her intention to do so since the jury returned its verdict last June, but her legal team did not file the necessary documents until November 23.
Her appeal request gives an indication of how the
Aquaman
star's lawyers intend to defend her in this second instance trial.
"The trial court erred in rejecting Heard's motion of no confidence, in which she argued that the impugned statements are non-actionable expressions of opinion and are not not reasonably capable of conveying the alleged defamatory implication… This ruling, if upheld, will no doubt have a chilling effect on other women who wish to speak out about abuse involving powerful men,” the document reads. , relayed by Deadline.
Already rendered
Amber Heard's team also claims that this trial should never have taken place, for a very simple reason: a judgment on the merits had already been rendered by another court.
“This case should never have gone to trial, as another court had already found that Depp abused Heard on multiple occasions,” the document claims, referring to the trial in the High Court of Justice. in London, who had concluded that Johnny Depp had indeed physically attacked the one who was his wife at the time.
According to Deadline, the case could now take years to settle, "if it ever does," since Johnny Depp has also filed an appeal and, under Virginia law where the American trial was held, a group of judges will therefore have to meet to decide on the follow-up to be given to the procedure.
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Amber Heard
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