The judge presiding over the $ 50 million defamation case of Johnny Depp rejected Amber Heard’s request to dismiss the case.
Penny Azkarate said Depp’s lawyers had provided enough evidence to continue the case.
Hurd’s proposal for a strike was almost a formality once the plaintiffs closed their case, and Azcarate was expected to reject such an effort.
Lawyers on both sides presented oral arguments on the request Tuesday morning without the jury present. For Hurd’s legal team, the main purpose of the request is to provide certain rights to appeal to the defense, if necessary.
Depp is suing his ex-wife over a 2018 Washington Post article: “I spoke out against sexual violence – and faced the wrath of our culture. That needs to change. ” Hurd wrote that “two years ago, I became a public figure on domestic violence and felt the full force of our culture’s anger at women who speak openly.”
Although Depp’s name is not mentioned in the document, his lawyers say it has enough to do with Hurd’s 2016 allegations that he physically abused her.
Azkarate noted that “if there is instant evidence that a reasonable juror could weigh, then the matter survives after a request for appeal.” She said there was “evidence that the jurors could judge that the statements were for the plaintiff, that the statements had been published and that the statement was false and that the defendant had made the statement knowing it was false or that the defendant had done so recklessly which is tantamount to deliberate disregard for the truth. The weight of this evidence depends on the findings. “She said she would not yet decide whether a defamation lawsuit should survive one of Hurd’s tweets.
Johnny Depp’s career in photos, from “Platoon” to “Pirates” and beyond
Hurd’s team did not comment on the judge’s decision.
Earlier in the morning, Michael Spindler, an economic damage expert, testified that Depp “suffered lost profits of approximately $ 40 million” for almost two years after the book was published. That includes $ 20.3 million in agency commissions from the loss of Jack Sparrow’s game in Pirates 6, as well as $ 20.1 million in reservations for non-franchise films. During questioning by Hurd’s lawyer, Spindler admitted that he did not offer evidence as to whether the loss of profits was caused by Hurd’s operation.
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