Amber Heard’s bid for new trial with Johnny Depp rejected by court

Actress Amber Heard, who starred in the movie “Aquaman,” was denied a fresh trial in her defamation case against ex-husband Johnny Depp on Wednesday after the judge dismissed her attorneys’ claim that one of the jurors had been selected unfairly.

When a jury in Fairfax County, Virginia, found Heard had slandered “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Depp in a newspaper opinion piece, they sentenced her to pay Depp $10.35 million in damages.

Asserting that one of the jurors on the case should not have been qualified to serve because his summons was intended for his father, who had the same name and resided at the same address, his counsel requested the court in the case to overturn the verdict and declare a mistrial.

Judge Penny Azcarate concluded that the jury’s decision should remain because there was “no proof of fraud or malfeasance” on the part of the juror.

She added that at the beginning of the trial, all potential jurors had been questioned and accepted by both parties.

According to Azcarate, “due process was promised and delivered to all parties in this action.”

Depp, 59, had sued Heard, claiming that she had defamed him by referring to herself in an opinion piece that appeared in media as “a public figure symbolizing domestic abuse.” Depp asserted that Heard, 36, was the one who started acting violently in their relationship and denied punching her.

Heard countersued Depp, alleging that his attorney slandered her by referring to her allegations as a “hoax.” On one of Heard’s counterclaims, the jury decided to pay $2 million in damages to her. Heard said she only hit Depp in self- or sister-defense.