Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continue their public legal battle.
This time the actor is attempting to have the counterclaims made by his ex-wife to be dismissed, however a judge denied the request made by Depp’s legal team.
Amber’s counterclaim comes after the Pirates of the Caribbean star launched a lawsuit for $50 million, following a self description made in 2018 for the Washington Post, where she claims to be “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Although Amber didn’t refer directly to the actor in the article, Johnny and his lawyers accused her of defamation, suggesting the statement was about him, and it “perpetrated domestic violence against her.”
© GettyImagesThe Aquaman star was quick to set a counterclaim for $100 million after the lawsuit had been launched.
The Hollywood actor thought his attempt to dismiss Amber’s counterclaim would work under the new law passed in Virginia last year, as it describes the Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
However the judge in charge of the case referred to the previous comments made by Depp and his lawyer Adam Waldman, when they describing Amber Heard’s allegations as a “sexual violence hoax,” taking it as a reason to deny his attempt.
© GettyImagesJudge Bruce White stated that the comments “imply that Ms. Heard lied and perjured herself when she appeared before a court in 2016 to obtain a temporary restraining order against Mr. Depp.”
White also took a moment to dive into Amber’s professional career, and ruled against the actress, after she claimed that her ex-husband tainted her name online, intending to damage her participation in the Aquaman franchise.
This follows Johnny Depp’s imminent exit from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, as it was previously reported that Warner Brothers would be replacing him with Mads Mikkelsen.
