Actor Johhny Depp is facing a major setback in his ongoing legal dispute with Amber Heard. The trial is only a few weeks away, but now his countersuit will be taking a hit after a new development.
In a recent hearing, Virginia Judge Penney Azcarate ruled against Depp’s summary judgment motion and said Amber Heard can utilize the state’s anti-SLAPP statute. So, what exactly does this mean?
Amber Heard can use this state statute to contend how she should be protected from his libel lawsuit because her 2018 op-ed on domestic violence deals with a matter of public interest. In short, it means that her attorneys can argue Heard is deserving of such immunity in front of the jury. This action undercuts a large swath of Depp’s legal strategy going into the trial that is scheduled to start April 11.
Related: Johnny Depp receives Medal of Honor for his merits in Films and Art
To sum up years worth of legal issues, after Depp and Heard’s divorce, The Sun ran an article claiming Depp to be a ‘wife-beater” and helping Heard’s career by allowing her to claim victimhood due to their tremulous relationship. Heard later went on the write an Op-Ed Article with The Washington Post besmirching Depp’s name and making accusatory claims against the actor further tarnishing his career and causing him to be dropped from several large franchise opportunities including Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts.
Reportedly, Disney is at least reconsidering the decision to fire Johnny Depp, but he did claim that his latest film, Minamata, was “boycotted by Hollywood” despite the belief that the filmmakers and partners on the project were going to stay neutral regarding the movie’s premiere and distribution.
This legal dispute is still an ongoing matter. We will post updates when more information becomes available.
Related: Jack Sparrow Movie being developed without Johnny Depp
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Source: Deadline
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