In response to recent revelations, Amber Heard recently requested a new defamation case over her ex-husband Johnny Depp. This occurred about five months after the verdict, and the actress argues that the Virginia court case she lost to the actor was handled inappropriately. According to the appeal filed by Amber’s attorneys Jay Ward Brown and David L. Axelrod, the judgment will have a “chilling effect” on women who want to take a stand and speak out against the abuse by powerful men.
As per Deadline, Amber Heard’s attorneys, Jay Ward Brown and David L. Axelrod stated in their new petition to the court. “The trial court erroneously refused to dismiss this action on the ground of forum non-conveniens, based on its mistaken conclusion that Depp’s claims arose in Virginia because the Washington Post’s servers are located here. The trial court also erred in overruling Heard’s demurrer. She argued that the challenged statements are non-actionable expressions of opinion and are not reasonably capable of conveying the alleged defamatory implication.”
Added in the 68-page document, “That holding, if allowed to stand, undoubtedly will have a chilling effect on other women who wish to speak about abuse involving powerful men.” Amber’s attorneys made various claims in their appeal that the trial was conducted improperly.
Added to it, the application said, “This case also should never have gone to trial because another court had already concluded that Depp abused Heard on multiple occasions. After Depp filed this case, the United Kingdom High Court of Justice ruled in a separate defamation action brought by Depp that Heard’s abuse allegations were true.”
Source: Deadline
