On Tuesday (May 24th), Amber Heard‘s legal team wrapped up their defense in Johnny Depp‘s defamation trial. Following this, Depp’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss Heard’s $100 million countersuit.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for an op-ed she wrote about surviving domestic violence for the Washington Post in 2018, although she didn’t name the Pirates of the Caribbean actor by name. Heard filed a $100 million countersuit, claiming Depp sought to discredit her and her allegations as “fake” and a “hoax,” thereby damaging her reputation and her career.
Attorney Ben Chew argued that public statements made by Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman in 2020, which Heard’s countersuit is based on, don’t show that Depp “participated” in or “authorized” the comments. “There's no evidence that Mr. Depp even saw the statements by Mr. Waldman until he was sued,” said Chew.
Ultimately, Judge Penney Azcarate denied the motion by Depp’s legal team to dismiss Heard’s countersuit.