The Lawsuits Thread

[Lbock]

As I understand the UK rules for filming. Johnny must isolate for two weeks but during that time he can travel to and from the set and stay home. No visitors or restaurants etc. home and studio only (thus creating a “bubble)

[ForeverYoung]

I would love to know how they intend to get all those lawyers, Johnny, a court reporter and a video person all in one conf. room and still be six feet apart, especially when the numbers are on the rise again. There is no reason why they can't do this deposition on Zoom.

[Granna]

The main goal: destroy, humiliate, undermine, & control Depp. Get the Warner Brothers pissed off at him. Try to get him cancelled again. To prove he is the abuser and she is the A-list talented, (cough) extremely beautiful (cough) innocent (cough) victim (cough, cough).

[ForeverYoung]

Yes but WB probably realizes there is nothing they can do about it and it isn't Johnny's fault that the covid threw everything off the calendars. They will work it out. His team will probably ask to do it by Zoom.

[Lbock]

Not sure what you mean by zoom. The judge was very clear he must be in-person in Virginia

[myfave]

The main goal: destroy, humiliate, undermine, & control Depp. Get the Warner Brothers pissed off at him. Try to get him cancelled again. To prove he is the abuser and she is the A-list talented, (cough) extremely beautiful (cough) innocent (cough) victim (cough, cough).

Warner Bro’s will be pissed at Johnny why? Is Amber hired for Aquaman2????

[ForeverYoung]

Not sure what you mean by zoom. The judge was very clear he must be in-person in Virginia

I mean the deposition can be done by video link if everyone agrees. The judge really doesn't care where the deposition is held, but he had to put something on the papers. They don't need an order from him to change how and where the deposition is done. Getting it delayed was most likely Plan A. Now maybe they will think about Plan B which would be deposition by video link (such as Zoom). This is not an uncommon thing right now. In the US judges are holding some hearings in Zoom, attorneys are doing mediations in Zoom and depositions also. A lot of businesses right now are demanding their employees quarantine if they travel so I can't see why this would not be agreed to, unless Amber really wants to be a witch and make him go to VA, which means she would be going there too because we all know she has nothing better to do since she has no work.

[ForeverYoung]

The main goal: destroy, humiliate, undermine, & control Depp. Get the Warner Brothers pissed off at him. Try to get him cancelled again. To prove he is the abuser and she is the A-list talented, (cough) extremely beautiful (cough) innocent (cough) victim (cough, cough).

Warner Bro’s will be pissed at Johnny why? Is Amber hired for Aquaman2????

There has been no official statement from the studio that Amber is returning to Aquaman.

[Lbock]

AH team already stated they would not do a live link deposition. The judge stated Johnny has to do the depo in Elaine’s office or in the nearby vicinity of northern Virginia. Zoom is not an option. I’m sorry but the judge was very clear on this. The dates and starting by 10am

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit/s ... 5-2020.pdf

[Lbock]

Judge Hears Arguments in Johnny Depp Defamation Tria Judge Hears Arguments in Johnny Depp Defamation Trial

(Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
FAIRFAX, Va. (CN) — Lawyers for Johnny Depp asked a judge Friday to toss out a $100 million defamation case filed against the actor by his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Heard’s case is a counterclaim to a lawsuit filed by Depp, who also contends that Heard defamed him. Chief Judge Bruce White of the 19th Judicial Circuit of Virginia listened to arguments Friday.

Depp first sued his ex-wife in March 2019, asking for $50 million in damages and claiming he was defamed by an op-ed Heard wrote in which she described herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. The editorial, which didn’t mention him by name, was published in 2018 in The Washington Post, which is printed in Virginia.

The counterclaim filed in August contends that Heard has become the target of a smear campaign that has included “false and defamatory statements to reporters repeatedly accusing Ms. Heard of being a liar and a hoax artist and accusing Ms. Heard of the crime of perjury.”

Depp’s lawyer, Benjamin Chew of Brown Rudnick, argued that accusing someone of perpetrating a hoax or lying is not actionable, but a statement of opinion. Heard’s complaint also mentions texts in which Depp remarked “Let’s burn Amber.” Chew pointed out that those texts were private communications sent by the actor to a friend.

But the charges are about “far more than generically calling someone a liar,” said Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Charlson Bredehoft of the Virginia-based firm Charlson Bredehoft Cohen & Brown.

The counterclaim contends that Depp wanted Heard removed from a prime role in the “Aquaman” film and as spokesman for L’Oreal. To that end, Heard claims Depp or his representatives used multiple social media accounts to defame her, targeting her Twitter account “to interfere with her contracts and/or business expectancies,” the lawsuit says. Two of the accounts were responsible for 50% of the attacks.

Heard also asks for a declaratory judgment finding that she is immune from civil liability as her op-ed was protected by the First Amendment.

Depp and Heard were married little more than a year, but the case has extended 18 months with hundreds of pages of motions and numerous courtroom dust-ups over evidence. Earlier this week, the judge signed an order compelling Depp to appear in Virginia for deposition during three days in November.

The case has been scheduled for May 2021, as Covid-19 restrictions have delayed jury trials. Depp also sued News Group Newspapers in Great Britain, and a trial in that case concluded in July.

https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-he ... ion-trial/

[Lbock]

Excerpts of Deadline article. I am wondering if they had someone there.

After months of slipping out of having to actually sit down for the $50 million defamation lawsuit that he launched against Amber Heard, Johnny Depp may have run out of moves.

“Plaintiff John C. Depp, II shall …appear for three successive days in counsel for Defendant’s offices in Virginia …or at such other place in Northern Virginia designated by counsel for Defendant, from November 10-12, 2020, beginning at 10:00 a.m. each day,” declares an order yesterday from Fairfax County VA Circuit Court Chief Judge Bruce White (READ IT HERE).

No word yet from the Depp camp if the Fantastic Beasts star plans to fight this order, yet. However, if the Oscar nominee does show up, it looks like it will involve him having to skip out of some of the UK filming of the latest sequel in the WB franchise from J.K Rowling.

Late last month, the Charlson Bredehoft Cohen & Brown, P.C. lawyers and Aquaman star Heard filed paperwork to have Depp face their questions “on or before October 30, 2020 on dates and times agreeable to counsel for Defendant.” Having launched a $100 million counterclaim this summer, Heard was also unsuccessfully trying yet again to get the case initiated by her ex-husband tossed out

There was a hearing in Fairfax County on the matter on October 9.

Following that, clearly Judge White, who also ordered Depp pay his ex-wife just under $7000 in some administrative fees and hand over long sought documents, split the difference on the deposition.

https://deadline.com/2020/10/Johnny-dep ... 234598955/

[myfave]

Sounds like a Johnny is losing this battle on different levels right now. I cannot wait til this is all over.

[Granna]

Keep the faith. Adam Waldman, Ben Chew and Warner Brothers - they aren't stupid. Let Heard strut .

[ForeverYoung]

AH team already stated they would not do a live link deposition. The judge stated Johnny has to do the depo in Elaine’s office or in the nearby vicinity of northern Virginia. Zoom is not an option. I’m sorry but the judge was very clear on this. The dates and starting by 10am

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/circuit/s ... 5-2020.pdf

Maybe I am missing something but I didn't see anything about them refusing to do a video link. I guess we will see what happens.

[ForeverYoung]

Sounds like a Johnny is losing this battle on different levels right now. I cannot wait til this is all over.

This is not a major setback by any means. He isn't going to get everything he wants all the time in this case but in the end Amber will not be able to prove that the article was not a direct attempt at deformation of character, imo.