Johnny Depp told he can sue Amber Heard
JOHNNY Depp has been given the go-ahead to sue ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation, a US judge has ruled.
The decision comes less than a year after the actor lost his libel lawsuit against a UK newspaper over a 2018 story that called him a “wife-beater”.
A Virginia judge threw out a claim by Heard that the case should be dismissed after she argued Depp’s defeat in the Royal Courts of Justice last year should mean his lawsuit had no merit.
The Pirates Of The Caribbean star, 58, is suing his ex-wife over a 2018 piece she wrote for the Washington Post newspaper about surviving domestic violence.
Although the actress, 35, never named Depp in the article she did accuse him of domestic violence during their 2016 split, which he denied.
Judge Penney Azcarate granted the actor the right to pursue his lawsuit, denying Heard’s argument it should be dismissed after Depp lost his UK libel lawsuit in November last year.
In her ruling, the judge wrote: “Plaintiff’s defamation claim in the
UK was based on completely different statements than the present case.” The judge also said: “The libel laws of Virginia are starkly different than those of England. The Declaration of Independence and the First Amendment of the United States
Constitution represent major departures from the English Common Law, with respect to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.”
In the Royal Courts of Justice case, Judge Mr Justice Nicol said the newspaper had proved what was in their article to be “substantially true”. He found 12 of the 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence had occurred and that Depp had put Heard in “fear for her life” three times.
The actor’s lawyer called the ruling “perverse” and said the Hollywood star would appeal.
In March, Depp lost an attempt to overturn the court ruling.
Last week, the actor claimed there is now a “boycott” of him in Hollywood as he discussed his latest film, Minamata.
Messy
The movie has premiered in the UK but has not been given a US release as yet.
Depp said: “Some films touch people and this affects those in Minamata, and people who experience similar things.
“And for anything. For Hollywood’s boycott of me?
“One man, one actor, in an unpleasant and messy situation, over the last number of years.
“But, you know, I’m moving towards where I need to go to bring things to light.”