Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: Will she be liable for libel?
First of all, how this case flew under our radar is BEYOND us.
Check out Johnny Depp's Defamation Complaint that initiated these proceedings against Amber Heard below. Johnny claims that he was defamed by Amber when Ms. Heard wrote an Op-Ed for the Washington Post detailing surviving an abusive past.
Johnny asserts that he has never been abusive to Amber Heard. Now, as we discussed in our Jim Bellino Defamation episode, we know that in order to win his defamation case, Johnny Depp has to prove:
A defamatory/insulting statement
Of or concerning Plaintiff/Johnny Depp
Communicated to a third party who understands the statement,
The statement is false
Defendant/Amber acted with knowledge that the statement was false but said it anyway; and
Johnny Depp suffered damages.
Johnny alleges that the defamatory statement is that he was abusive toward Amber. Johnny alleges Amber clearly communicated the statement when it was distributed by the Washington Post.
The important issue here is that in order for Johnny to be successful, the statement must be false. This means that Johnny needs to prove to the jury by a preponderance of the evidence that he has never abused Amber Heard.
So far both sides have offered evidence of the couple fighting. Whether anything raises to the level of abuse is up to the jury! Until then, we get to watch while they air out each other's dirty laundry.
Make sure to catch the latest episode of Allegedly Bravo where we break down Johnny Depp's complaint and Amber Heard's Op-Ed!
johnny-depp-v.-amber-heard-complaintDownload
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