Johnny Depp Appeals “Erroneous” $2M Trial Win For Amber Heard; ‘Pirates’ & ‘Aquaman’ Stars Head Back To Court For More Battle In Defamation Case

04.11.2022 - 06:53 / deadline.com

Johnny Depp wants his defamation cake, and he wants to get to eat it too.

“This Court should reverse the judgment on Ms. Heard’s Counterclaim as to the April 27 Waldman Statement, but should otherwise affirm the judgment in Mr. Depp’s favor,” declared a filing today by the ex-Pirates of the Caribbean star in Virginia’s Court of Appeals (read it here).

Despite almost sweeping the table earlier this summer in the defamation trial against his Rum Diary co-star and former spouse, Depp is determined to not pay Heard the $2 million that a Virginia jury oddly awarded her in a countersuit claim.

The Aquaman star claimed that Depp was “vicariously liable” for a trio of damning and defaming statements his close pal and ex-lawyer Adam Waldman gave to UK tabloid The Daily Mail calling Heard’s allegations of violence and abuse at Depp’s often allegedly drunken hand were hogwash. Specifically, an April 27,2020 article where Waldman’s characterized Heard’s account of an alleged domestic violence incident between the high profile couple on May 21, 2016 aa a “hoax” found the jury’s favor.

Walking away from the Fairfax County Courthouse on June 1 with the cheers of fans in his ears, a $10.4 million award in his figurative pocket, and now an accelerating comeback trajectory, Depp and his bicoastal Brown Rudnick LLP team have made the first formal move in what has been a long anticipated appeal process from both sides.

“The judgment in Ms. Heard’s favor on that lone statement is erroneous,” the 44-page appeal filing succinctly says. “Even if the Court were to conclude that Mr. Depp could be held liable for Mr. Waldman’s allegedly tortious conduct, the trial court nonetheless erred in denying Mr. Depp’s Motion for Summary Judgment and