What's Really Going On With Johnny Depp And Amber Heard?
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's highly publicized divorce and subsequent legal battle has had another development. In March 2021, according to Deadline, Depp's legal team told The UK Court of Appeal why they believe the actor should get a retrial in the case he lost against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun.
Depp and Heard were married from 2015 until 2017, after which allegations of domestic abuse were made on both sides (via BBC) and many of the graphic details of the troubles in their marriage came out in court in 2020. Their split became very messy in the public eye, and it was confirmed in November 2020 that Depp would no longer appear in the Harry Potter spinoff movie series Fantastic Beasts as a result of the allegations made against him. As reported by BBC, Depp has denied the allegations of abuse, while Heard's lawyers have denied the allegations against her.
The original libel trial saw Depp go to court over The Sun describing him as a "wife beater" in a 2018 article, a claim which the original verdict degreed was "substantially true." Depp's legal team is looking to overturn that verdict. The latest development saw the actor's team ask for a retrial on the grounds of an alleged "manipulative lie" on Heard's part that they claimed had "tipped the scales" the first time, but what was the claim? Keep reading for the details.
Why Johnny Depp is looking for a retrial in his libel case
Johnny Depp's legal team based the call for a retrial around an allegation that Amber Heard hadn't been truthful when she said the $7 million she got from her divorce from Depp all went to charity, according to Deadline. Heard had said during the original trial that she had donated all the money to charities including the L.A.'s Children Hospital Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union, though Depp's lawyers alleged that's not true and called it a "calculated and manipulative lie," adding that the claim "tipped the scales from the very beginning" of the trial in her favor.
Heard's lawyers told Deadline in January 2021 that her donations had been "delayed" because of the legal fees associated with the court case. News Group Newspapers' representative Adam Wolanski alleged that Heard had already made a number of charitable payments and said the rest of the money she had pledged will be donated.
Everyone involved will have to wait a little longer to find out if Depp is granted a retrial. Lord Justice Underhill of the UK Court of Appeal said a decision will be made "shortly" but did not specify exactly when. Unfortunately, it looks like Heard and Depp are still a long way off ever having a cordial post-divorce relationship.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224. You can also find more information, resources, and support at www.thehotline.org.