Johnny Depp suffers big loss in $100M defamation lawsuit with Amber Heard

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

Check back here on Chip & Co. for the latest theme park and entertainment news updates!

Source: Deadline

Let our friends at Destinations to Travel help you book your next Disney Vacation. They are the preferred Travel Agency of Chip and Company and Disney Addicts, and who we use ourselves.

Get started below for your FREE No Obligation Quote.

Book With our friends at Destinations to Travel

Who is your Travel Agent?(Required)

Let us pick for youEric HilesStacy ReedAbbey JohnsonAlisa SullivanAlli WillisAmanda FolsomAmanda VannAmber BrillhartAmber FisherAmy SieburnAndrea SmithAngela AndersonAngie BaycuraAnna PetrilliAnnabelle DuboseApril StefanskiAshley RamseyBeth ParsonsBetsy SantoroBrandie McQueenBrian BuckleyBridget HatchBryan SchwartzCandice SneedCarrie ButlerCarson DockumCasey BoltCharleen HortonChelsea RoyChelsea WuebkerChris BoyerChristie GrubeChristina FratturaChristina SmithCourtney WhiteCraig YoderDan MercedDanielle NorcrossDarby MouritsenDavid ForrestDeborah AlvaradoEmilee BiegelEmily MorrisFaith HakesGail HatchGreg MatzkerHelen HummerHolly CurryJackie CavistonJaclyn PepitoneJamie SwansonJeanine JordanJeff CallahanJenni MaierJennifer BrownJennifer StephensonJennifer StoessnerJessica HatfieldJessica HuffJessica WunderJoe GuertinJon CarpentierJoseph SliwaJulie McCombJustin BrownKat AttridgeKathryn EberhartKathy AndersonKatie HarrellKatie PrevotKayla CookKelsey SullensKim HelmsKimberly HutchinsonKristi GallagherKyle RamsdenLauren DewlenLeanne MonterLinda DurhamLindsay AckermannLindsey VromanLissette BritoLori HardyMallory MorrisonMandi QuinnMaranda PerkinsMarisa AlvaradoMegan TeismannMeghan BlairMelissa ReedMichele KlineMike BeyerMissy McCormickMisty DickersonNancy CasteelNicole ThorntonPatrick O'ConnorPaul SulPeyton Ward-KubikRaylene CooganRegan OstranderRobbie BulusRobert ThomasSara SolbergSarah McCandlishShanna BrowningShelley BennettShelly MetzStacy CristStacy KrzyminskiStacy SmithStephanie DraganoStephanie FerencStephanie WalshSusannah McCordTara SlusserTerri MillerTiffany DobraskiTiffany DrenkhahnTina FarmerTonya LesiukTracy DaneTroy DuncanVeronica RenteriaVicki FesslerWendy CarllWendy HauserWendy KellehanWendy Shelley

Name(Required)

First Last

Email(Required)

Phone(Required)

Destination(Required)

Walt Disney WorldDisneyland ResortDisney Cruise LineAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaAulani, A Disney Resort and SpaUniversal FloridaUniversal HollywoodRoyal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian or other Cruise LineI don't know yet

# of Adults(Required)

# of Children(Required)

Check-in-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Check-out-Date(Required)

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Comments, Questions or Special Requests

Comments

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

For the BEST in Disney, Universal, Dollywood, and SeaWorld Theme Park News, Entertainment, Merchandise & More follow us on, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Don't forget to check out the Chip and Company Radio Network too!