Johnny Depp received his explosive defamation lawsuit towards ex-wife Amber Heard as a result of an “huge quantity of proof was suppressed,” the actress’s lawyer mentioned Thursday — including that her shopper will not be capable of pay the multimillion-dollar judgment.
“Properly, you already know, actually what occurred right here is it is a story of two trials. Johnny Depp introduced a swimsuit within the UK for a similar case,” Elaine Bredehoft instructed “At present,” referring to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star’s sensational 2020 libel case towards British tabloid the Solar.
“The burden of proof was simpler for him there, the Solar needed to truly show that it was true. And the court docket discovered there — and we weren’t allowed to inform the jury this — however the court docket discovered that Mr. Depp had dedicated not less than 12 acts of home violence, together with sexual violence towards Amber.
“So what did Depp’s group be taught from this? Demonize Amber and suppress the proof. We had an infinite quantity of proof that was suppressed on this case that was within the UK case. Within the UK case when it got here in, Amber received and Mr. Deep misplaced.”
Bredehoft mentioned Depp’s group was profitable in quashing necessary medical information.
“They had been capable of suppress the medical information, which had been very, very vital as a result of they confirmed a sample going all the best way again to 2012 of Amber reporting this to her therapist, for instance,” she instructed this system.
“We had a big quantity of texts, together with from Mr. Depp’s assistants, saying ‘After I instructed him he kicked you, he cried, he’s so sorry.’ That did not are available.”
When requested if the “Aquaman” actress would be capable of pay the $10.4 million in damages that the Virginia jury awarded to her Hollywood star ex, Bredehoft replied: “Oh, no, completely not.”
In response to sources near Heard, the actress was supposed to affix her legal professional on the morning present Thursday however pulled out of the interviews after her courtroom loss.
On Wednesday, the jury dominated in Depp’s favor on all three of his defamation claims stemming from Heard’s 2018 Washington Publish op-ed.
The jury declared Heard, 36, “acted with precise malice” when she penned her now-infamous op-ed, titled “I spoke up towards sexual violence — and confronted our tradition’s wrath. That has modified.”
Nonetheless, the actress’s legal professional confirmed that Heard would enchantment — and has “glorious grounds” for it.
“Oh, completely” [she will appeal]. And she or he has some glorious grounds for it,” Bredehoft insisted.
“We even had tried to get the UK judgment in his case as a result of he [Depp] already had his shot — and that is one of many points but additionally quite a lot of the evidentiary points. There was a lot proof that didn’t are available.”
Within the UK case, Depp, 58, sued the Solar after it labeled him a “spouse beater” in an April 2018 article.
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A Excessive Courtroom choose dominated in November 2020 within the tabloid’s favor after concluding that Heard’s allegations of abuse had been “considerably true.”
The choose dominated that the actor assaulted his ex-wife a dozen instances and put her in worry for her life on three events.
Depp’s authorized group tried to have the decision overturned, arguing that Heard was an “unreliable witness.” However in March 2021, UK’s Courtroom of Enchantment rejected the actor’s bid to problem the ruling, saying that it had “no actual prospect of success” as a result of the sooner trial was “full and truthful.”
Bredehoft additionally later appeared on “CBS Mornings” Thursday, the place she reiterated a few of her claims to “At present” concerning the UK case — and clashed with Gayle King.
Heard, whom the lawyer described as “heartbroken,” was once more a no-show.
The protection legal professional argued that Depp emerged a winner due to his superstar standing, however King identified that Heard is “a star, too.”
“It is a setback for ladies contained in the courtroom and outdoors the courtroom,” Bredehoft mentioned. “What this jury mentioned is if you happen to do not document it, it did not occur.”
Bredehoft then turned her consideration to Depp’s UK case, saying that throughout the three-week trial, all of the proof was allowed to be offered, to which host Tony Dokoupil identified that it’s a totally different judicial system, and in Virginia, the jury determined — not the choose.
The lawyer additionally blamed the presence of cameras within the courtroom, which she mentioned created an environment of a “Roman Coliseum” the place Heard was demonized by Depp’s group.
King posited: “Folks watching this trial felt it was messy on either side they usually had been each mendacity and that there was mutual abuse.”
“That is a misnomer,” Bredehoft shot again.
Depp is presently within the UK to carry out exhibits along with his rock musician buddy Jeff Beck. His authorized group has declined an invite to seem on CBS, based on King.
In an earlier section, New York Instances investigative reporter Jodi Kantor, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning work helped deliver down film mogul Harvey Weinstein, weighed in on the Depp-Heard trial, suggesting that the decision might have a “chilling impact” on the # MeToo motion.
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“The way in which Amber Heard was attacked was, in a technique, very acquainted,” Kantor instructed the hosts of “CBS Mornings.”
“There was a variety of misogyny that we have seen earlier than. There was a form of weaponization of the reputational warfare on-line. There was nearly this hate machine constructed towards her.
“I had by no means seen it at that degree and directed at one girl at that depth.”
The workplace mentioned the result of the trial, which she mentioned was “performed like a sporting occasion,” might encourage folks dealing with abuse allegations to deliver defamation lawsuits towards their accusers to silence them.
“In order that’s a really scary prospect for ladies,” she mentioned.
The journalist conceded that whereas this case was “singular” as a result of it concerned two celebrities who had gone via a messy divorce, different ladies contemplating coming ahead with abuse allegations may decide to maintain quiet out of worry of being attacked like Heard was.
Bredehoft, henceforth, mentioned the trial’s consequence sends a “horrible message.”
“Until you pull out your cellphone and videotape your partner beating you, you will not be believed,” she instructed “At present.”