Amber Heard‘s $100 million defamation suit against Johnny Depp has suffered a setback. Fairfax County Judge Bruce White nixed her request for immunity from a civil liability Depp put forward against her.
The 57-year-old is suing Heard for $50 million in Virginia over a Washington Post Op-Ed in which she described her past as a domestic violence survivor. While she didn’t name Depp, the allusion was clear. She then decided to counter-sue.
The judge also rejected Depp’s bid for immunity over statements he made against Heard, which means that if the case goes to trial as expected, he will face counterclaims after his legal team told media outlets that her abuse allegations were a “hoax.”
Heard claims in her case that Depp tried to destroy her career, and get her ousted from Aquaman and modeling gigs, by deploying social media bots in violation of Virginia law.
This case comes after a British judge ruled that Depp could be referred to as a “wife beater” in news articles. He is appealing.