The never-ending legal saga between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continues, as new documents revealed that Depp’s legal team has officially filed an appeal to the verdict that awarded Heard $2 million during the infamous defamation trial.  

Those who followed the six-week trial will recall the statement made by Waldman to the Daily Mail published April 27, 2020, in which he claimed that Heard and her friends set up Depp by calling the cops with a “hoax” of abuse claims back in 2016. The jury found that Waldman was acting as an agent for Depp when making the comment. 

The appeal documents — which are a hefty 44-pages thick — largely focus on Waldman’s Daily Mail statement, dismissing the claims upon which Heard’s arguments stood. 

“The judgment in Ms. Heard’s favour on that lone statement is erroneous,” the docs state. “Ms. Heard’s claim was fatally flawed, and the trial court should have granted Mr. Depp’s motion for summary judgment and his motion to strike the evidence.” 

“Ms. Heard presented no evidence at trial that Mr. Depp was personally involved in directing or making any of the three Waldman Statements. Indeed, Mr. Depp testified that he had never even seen the Waldman Statements prior to the filing of the Counterclaim in August of 2020.” 

The documents worked to further distance Depp from Waldman, saying, “Mr. Waldman is an independent contractor, whose allegedly tortious conduct is not automatically attributable to Mr. Depp” and “no evidence of Mr. Waldman’s actual malice was presented at trial”. 

“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 favour,” they concluded. 

Many online voices have begun to discuss the appeal, defining it as Depp’s want for a ‘total victory’ over his ex-wife. The pair’s relationship was put under the microscope in front of millions earlier this year — sparking intense debates about domestic abuse, the film industry’s attitude towards abusers, and the public spectacle involved during one of the most-publicized courtroom dramas in American history. 

Reactions To The Appeal Varied Immensely: 

Others brought up Depp’s recent involvement in Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty fashion show — where he has a spotlight segment. 

The appeals come not long after Judge Penney S. Azcarate denied Heard’s motion to declare a mistrial and order a new trial, following Heard’s jury fraud claim. 

Lead Image: Law&Crime Network