Heavy setback for Johnny Depp in the trial of Amber Heard | showbiz

A judge in Virginia on Thursday ruled that Amber Heard can step up so-called anti-SLAPP legislation in her ex-husband’s lawsuit against her. SLAPP cases are cases where individuals or institutions attempt to intimidate or censor someone by threatening lawsuits. As a rule, these are cases where the accuser has little chance of winning, but hopes that the accused will give in for fear of legal costs or fear of appearing in front of a judge at all.

In this case, that would mean that Johnny Depp somehow knows he doesn’t have much of a chance of winning, but rather uses the lawsuit as a sort of deterrent against Heard. Many states have special anti-SLAPP laws to prevent these kinds of proceedings. Depp had filed a motion asking the judge to forbid Heard from invoking that arrangement, but it did not agree.

Depp and Heard divorced in 2016. The actress has accused her ex-husband of domestic violence ever since. The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star previously sued British tabloid The Sun for writing about the allegations, calling him a ‘wife beater’. The judge ruled that there was no question of defamation, because he considered twelve of the fourteen accusations proven.

The new case revolves around a submission Heard wrote for the Washington Post, in which she elaborated on her experience with an abusive relationship without naming Depp. Depp is seeking $50 million in damages. Heard also started a lawsuit against him, in which she demands 100 million.

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