News Analysis India

Tag: Johnny Depp

  • Wrong juror turned up at Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial?

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: The drama surrounding Johnny Depp’s multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife and ‘Aquaman’ star Amber Heard, refuses to die. The things have turned judicially weird, as a wrong juror took the chair during the legal proceedings, reports ‘Deadline’.

    A partially redacted new filing by the Aquaman star’s legal team, accessed by ‘Deadline’, read, “Ms. Heard had a right to rely on the basic protection, as prescribed by the Virginia Code, that the jurors in this trial would be individuals who were actually summoned for jury duty.”

    “In this case, it appears that Juror No. 15 was not, in fact, the same individual as listed on the jury panel,” attorney Elaine Bredehoft added in language similar to a previous filing of June 24.

    “Ms. Heard’s due process was therefore compromised. Under these circumstances, a mistrial should be declared, and a new trial ordered.”

    According to ‘Deadline’, unlike the previous motion and memorandum placed in the Fairfax County courthouse docket late last month to dismiss the June 1 verdict and allow a new trial, today’s supplemental memo has a lot more details on what could snatch victory from Depp in his long legal battle with his ex-wife.

    According to the redacted filing, accessed by ‘Deadline’, the summons for jury duty was sent out to a Virginia resident in April for the much-delayed $15 million defamation action Depp had set off in March 2019 against Heard for a 2018 ‘Washington Post’ op-ed she penned on being the “public face” of domestic abuse.

    Also, according to the recent filing, it seems that there are two individuals residing at the same address with, at the very least, “the same last name” – one a 77-year-old and another a 52-year-old.

    The former was the one summoned, but it looks like the latter was the one who showed up. “Thus, the 52-year-old [redacted] sitting on the jury for six weeks was never summoned for jury duty on April 11 and did not ‘appear in the list’, as required,” the filing asserts.

    Not noticed by officers or clerks of the court, the younger individual made it all the way to the jury without apparently ever being asked to produce any ID, or with perhaps fake ID, the filing implies. Additionally, it looks like someone filled out the required online information form either intentionally or accidentally to say that they were born in 1945.

    Unaware of this at the time and during the media-frenzied trial, Heard’s defence team now wants an explanation and to see some consequences, which could take the shine off Team Depp.

  • Netflix will finance Johnny Depp’s King Louis XV film, his comeback post-defamation trial

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: Streaming giant Netflix is helping finance Hollywood star Johnny Depp’s movie comeback following his much-publicised defamation trial against ex-wife and actress Amber Heard that he eventually won.

    According to aceshowbiz.com, the 59-year-old will portray King Louis XV in the French-language film ‘La Favorite’, which was previously reported to be titled ‘Jeanne du Barry’. Netflix has acquired the rights to stream the film in France, people familiar with the deal tell Bloomberg.

    The acquisition of the film’s rights will be used by the producers to help finance the production. Under the deal, the period piece will be hitting the streamer 15 months following its theatrical release. Netflix, however, does not have the rights to stream the movie in other territories and is not involved in the making of the picture.

    Directed by Maiwenn Le Besco, ‘La Favorite’ will tell the story of Jeanne Becu, an impoverished seamstress who rises through the ranks of Louis XV’s court to become his official mistress. Le Besco also stars as Jeanne Becu. Though the real Louis XV ruled over France for nearly 59 years, he “died as an unpopular king…accused of corruption and debauchery,” Variety wrote in January.

    Filming is scheduled to start later this summer across France and will last for about three months. The movie is expected to be ready for theatrical release in the country in 2023.

    ‘La Favorite’ will mark Depp’s first acting role since he won the defamation case.

    ALSO READ | Amber Heard’s attorney urges court to toss out defamation trial verdict

    ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ star was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages after the jury found his ex-wife Heard guilty of defaming him. The same jury awarded $2 million to the ‘Aquaman’ actress who made similar claims against Depp.

    Depp’s last film was ‘Minamata’, which was released in the U.S. late last year. In November 2020, he withdrew from ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’, in which he was supposed to reprise his role as Grindelwald, and was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen after losing his UK libel case against The Sun.

  • Amber Heard’s attorney urges court to toss out defamation trial verdict

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Amber Heard wants the verdict of the defamation trial against her ex-husband Johnny Depp to be tossed out. The ‘Aquaman’ actress’s attorney filed a motion requesting that including the $10.35 million in damages awarded to Depp by the jury, reports Variety.

    In addition to Heard’s attorneys arguing that the verdict is not supported by evidence, the 43-page document submitted to the Fairfax County Circuit Court also calls “to investigate improper juror service”, ‘Variety’ adds.

    It claimed that public information indicates that a juror who served during the trial was born in 1970, despite court officials listing the person’s birth year as 1945.

    Heard’s lawyers wrote, “This discrepancy raises the question whether Juror 15 actually received a summons for jury duty and was properly vetted by the court to serve on the jury.”

    Variety notes that Heard’s legal team also argues that the jurors’ $10.35 million award against the actress is “inconsistent and irreconcilable” with the jury’s conclusion that both her and Depp had defamed one another.

    In addition to Depp’s $10 million in compensatory damages, plus $350,000 in punitive damages, the jury also awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages for her counterclaim.

    Heard’s attorneys further wrote in the filing that “Mr. Depp presented no evidence that Ms. Heard did not believe she was abused. Therefore, Mr. Depp did not meet the legal requirements for actual malice, and the verdict should be set aside.”

    Depp’s lead attorney, Ben Chew, commented on the motion to toss the verdict, dismissing it as “what we expected, just longer, no more substantive” in a statement to ‘Courthouse News’.

  • Disneyland’s Captain Jack Sparrow is back; popular ride reopens

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Before the fans get all excited, it’s the Captain Jack Sparrow attraction that has reopened at Disneyland for enthusiastic fans — after a few technical hiccups, reports ‘Deadline’.

    The ride, which was installed at the theme park in 1967, was closed for refurbishment on March 14 and was originally scheduled to reopen in “summer 2022”, and then July 1.

    Disneyland dropped the rope, according to ‘Deadline’, on Friday (Pacific Standard Time) and fans were there en masse to experience the revamp.

    The first impressions are that little has changed beyond maybe some sound improvements and a bit of cleanup. That’s notable since the attraction’s main attraction, Johnny Depp in the form of Captain Jack Sparrow, has been through a few things during the closure.

    Representational Image for Disneyland. (Photo | AP)

    Questions have swirled about Depp’s future as a franchise star and, while the jury is still out on another Pirates film — or whether he’d even want to do one — Disney could have easily taken this opportunity to excise the star from the classic ride, but it didn’t.

    Five years ago ahead of the release of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’, Depp himself popped up in full Captain Jack costume and makeup at several points along the ride’s path to surprise fans.

    ‘Deadline’ noted that the ride reportedly reopened an hour late today with a 45-minute wait. One reason the ride seemingly closed was for park officials to rework the area around it for better crowd flow around the attraction, which frequently creates bottlenecks outside the gates.

    The reopening was plagued, however, by temporary closures. Beyond the morning delay, Pirates was closed and reopened at least twice before 2 p.m. Fans reported four temporary closures during that time.

  • Disney’s reported USD 300 million offer is ‘made up’, says Johnny Depp’s rep

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Johnny Depp has not been offered an apology deal worth $300 million. One of the representatives of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star has denied the existence of any such deal saying, “This is made up,” reports NBC News.

    A media report had earlier said that after Depp won his defamation suit against Amber Heard, Disney offered the deal plus an apology letter to Depp with the request to return to the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise.

    ALSO READ | Johnny Depp celebrates Amber Heard trial win, spends Rs 48 lakhs at Indian restaurant in Birmingham

    The NBC News report further states that Depp, who has played Captain Jack Sparrow in all the five ‘Pirates’ movies, the latest being the 2017 film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’, has declined to be part of the franchise irrespective of how lucrative the offer is. The actor had made the statement in court.

    At one point during the trial, Heard’s attorney Ben Rottenborn asked the actor, “The fact is, Mr Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film? Correct?”

    Depp replied in the affirmative, “That is true, Mr. Rottenborn.”

    ALSO READ | Judge makes jury’s USD 10.3 million award official in Depp-Heard trial

    A Virginia jury later ruled that Heard was liable for defaming Depp. The jury awarded $10 million to Depp in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

    The Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate later reduced the punitive damages to $350,000, which is the state’s statutory cap or legal limit, making his total damages less than $10.4 million.

    Back in May, ‘Pirates’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who is now working on two more films, was asked if Depp would be back for future projects. He told ‘The Sunday Times’, “Not at this point. The future is yet to be decided.”

  • Judge makes jury’s USD 10.3 million award official in Depp-Heard trial

    By Associated Press

    ALEXANDRIA: The judge in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial made a jury’s award official Friday with a written order for Heard to pay Depp USD10.35 million for damaging his reputation by describing herself as a domestic abuse victim in an op-ed piece she wrote.

    Judge Penney Azcarate entered a judgment order into the court record after a brief hearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court. She also ordered Depp to pay Heard USD 2 million, the jury’s award on her counterclaim that Heard was defamed by one of Depp’s lawyers.

    The order was a formality after the jury announced its verdict on June 1, largely siding with Depp after a sensational trial in which the couple revealed lurid details of their short marriage during a televised trial that was closely followed on social media.

    Depp sued Heard over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The jury found in Depp’s favour on all three of his claims relating to specific statements in the 2018 piece.

    The jury found Depp should receive USD 10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, but the judge reduced the punitive damages award to $350,000 under a state cap.

    Heard has said she plans to appeal the verdict.

    During Friday’s hearing, the judge said that if Heard appeals, she must post a bond for the full amount of the USD 10.35 million award while the appeal is pending — a common practice. The judge’s order says both awards are subject to 6% interest per year.

  • Johnny Depp celebrates Amber Heard trial win, spends USD 62,000 at Indian restaurant in Birmingham

    By Online Desk

    Actor Johnny Depp, who made the news after winning his highly-publicized defamation suit against Amber Heard, spend around USD 62,000 on a celebratory dinner with his friends, reported New York Post.

    Depp was recently awarded $15 million by the court in Virginia in the defamation case against Amber Heard.

    ALSO READ | Amber Heard ‘absolutely not’ able to pay Depp USD 10.4 million in damages: Lawyer

    Depp enjoyed ‘authentic Indian cuisine’ at Varanasi, known as ‘Birmingham’s largest Indian restaurant’.

    Birmingham’s largest and most luxurious fine dining restaurant-https://t.co/KAT8eQLxOc pic.twitter.com/nht3TFbjfW
    — Varanasi (@VaranasiBham) July 25, 2017
    “We had a call out of the blue on Sunday afternoon saying that Johnny Depp wanted to come to eat with a group of people,” Mohammed Hussain, operations director of Varanasi, told the Post.

    “I was shocked, and at first, I thought it might have been a joke. But then his security team arrived and checked out the restaurant, and we let them have the whole place because we were concerned that he might be bothered by other diners,” Mr Hussain added.

    The star was declared a “down-to-earth bloke” by the restaurant staff, according to the Post report. 

    Depp was hanging out with musician friend and guitarist Jeff Beck, 77, and 20 other people.

  • Johnny Depp celebrates Amber Heard trial win, spends Rs 48 lakhs at Indian restaurant in Birmingham

    By Online Desk

    Actor Johnny Depp, who made the news after winning his highly-publicized defamation suit against Amber Heard, spent around USD 62,000 (Rs 48 lakhs) on a celebratory dinner with his friends, reported New York Post.

    Depp was recently awarded $15 million by the court in Virginia in the defamation case against Amber Heard.

    ALSO READ | Amber Heard ‘absolutely not’ able to pay Depp USD 10.4 million in damages: Lawyer

    Depp enjoyed ‘authentic Indian cuisine’ at Varanasi, known as ‘Birmingham’s largest Indian restaurant’.

    Birmingham’s largest and most luxurious fine dining restaurant-https://t.co/KAT8eQLxOc pic.twitter.com/nht3TFbjfW
    — Varanasi (@VaranasiBham) July 25, 2017
    “We had a call out of the blue on Sunday afternoon saying that Johnny Depp wanted to come to eat with a group of people,” Mohammed Hussain, operations director of Varanasi, told the Post.

    “I was shocked, and at first, I thought it might have been a joke. But then his security team arrived and checked out the restaurant, and we let them have the whole place because we were concerned that he might be bothered by other diners,” Mr Hussain added.

    The star was declared a “down-to-earth bloke” by the restaurant staff, according to the Post report. 

    Depp was hanging out with musician friend and guitarist Jeff Beck, 77, and 20 other people.

  • Johnny Depp, Jeff Beck to release album together in July

    By IANS

    LONDON: English rock guitarist Jeff Beck has announced that he’ll be releasing a new album with Johnny Depp next month, reports ‘Variety’.The album will mark Depp’s first major project released since the end of his highly-publicised defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp bowed to the crowd when Beck made the announcement at the English city of Gateshead.”I’m gonna take this opportunity and tell you I met this guy five years ago, and we’ve never stopped laughing since,” Beck told the crowd about Depp (via Stereogum). “We actually made an album. I don’t know how it happened. It will be out in July.”Depp joined Beck onstage at the concert for a six-song set that reportedly included covers of Dennis Wilson, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix and Killing Joke, according to ‘Variety’.The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor has joined Beck on a string of recent concert appearances in the United Kingdom. Depp performed with Beck at London’s Royal Albert Hall a couple of days before the verdict was announced in the defamation trial.Beck has three more concerts lined up, but it is not immediately clear if Depp will continue to perform alongside him.

  • Amber Heard ‘absolutely not’ able to pay Depp USD 10.4 million in damages: Lawyer

    The lengthy, high-profile televised court battle ended Wednesday, when a seven-person jury found that Depp and Heard had defamed each other, but weighed in far more strongly with Depp