Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard begins on Monday, and it will even be televised. It’s already been a raucous affair, coming after Depp’s previous libel suit against The Sun, which didn’t go well for the now-struggling actor. But before it begins, Heard is clearing the air, defending her name, and even saying she feels “love” for Depp, despite all that’s transpired.
“Johnny is suing me for an op-ed I wrote in the Washington Post, in which I recounted my experience of violence and domestic abuse,” Heard wrote in an Instagram post. “I never named him, rather I wrote about the price women pay for speaking against men in power. I continue to pay that price, but hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny.”
She went on, writing, “I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world. At this time, I recognize the ongoing support I’ve been fortunate to receive throughout these years, and in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever.”
Even before the trial begins, Depp appears to be in hot water. As per Deadline:
In a short hearing, Virginia Judge Penney Azcarate ruled against Depp’s summary judgment motion and said Heard can, in fact, utilize the state’s anti-SLAPP statute.
SLAPP is an acronym for a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. A SLAPP suit is a civil complaint or counterclaim filed against people or organizations who speak out on issues of public interest or concern.
That means that her attorneys can argue Heard is deserving of immunity in front of the jury — and that undercuts a large swath of Depp’s legal strategy.
Depp’s previous libel suit was against The Sun, who called him a “wife beater,” which the court ruled was “substantially true.” Still, he forged ahead with another similar lawsuit anyway.
(Via Deadline)
Source: https://uproxx.com/viral/amber-heard-johnny-depp-maintained-love-defamation-trial/
