Read Johnny Depp's Full Response to Amber Heard Retrial Request

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Johnny Depp's lawyers responded on Monday to Amber Heard's request for a new trial, submitting a 36-page memorandum arguing that the actress' request was "outlandish."

Heard and Depp were both found liable for defamation in their lawsuits against each other in June in the high-profile, six-week-long trial that captured the internet's attention. The jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages and only $2 million to Heard, and since the jury's decision, Heard has fought for a retrial, citing that there were several issues with the June 1 ruling.

On Monday, Depp's lawyers responded to the motions submitted by Heard and her legal team, and the 36-page memorandum argues that everything about the primary trial was legitimate.

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Johnny Depp's lawyers respond to Amber Heard's calls for a retrial on Monday. Above, this combination of pictures created on June 1, 2022, shows US Actor Johnny Depp (L) attending the trial at the Fairfax... JIM WATSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

'Frivolous'

"Mr. Depp respectfully submits that the Court should deny Ms. Heard's Post-Trial Motions, which verge into the frivolous," it added.

In response to claims set forth by Heard's motion, Depp's team addressed her claims that the damages were "excessive," saying, "While Ms. Heard slings an exceptional amount of mud at the wall in the hope that something might stick, the jury's verdict on damages was perfectly reasonable and supported by the evidence and testimony in this case."

The Aquaman actress' lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, has publicly stated that Heard is unable to pay Depp the full amount that she owes him.

Juror 15

Depp's attorneys also touched on the allegation that one of the jurors is actually 25 years younger than he claimed to be. The filing from Heard's legal team asked for an investigation into the juror and stated, "Juror 15 had a birth year of 1945. Juror 15, however, was clearly born later than 1945. Publicly available information demonstrates that he appears to have been born in 1970."

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor's attorneys argued, "Ms. heard's desperate, after-the-fact demand for an investigation of Juror 15 based on a purported error in his birth date is...misplaced...Moreover, Ms. Heard's argument is based on pure speculation."

In the conclusion, the lawyers at Brown Rudnick LLP wrote, "For all the reasons set forth above, Mr. Depp respectfully requests that this Court deny Ms. heard's frivolous Motion in its entirety and reject her outlandish requests to set aside the jury verdict, dismiss the Complaint, or, in the alternative, order a new trial, and investigate Juror 15."

Read the full memorandum here.

No matter what the judge decides in this case, the drama between the former couple will continue, as Heard has already pledged to appeal the ruling in Fairfax, Virginia.

Newsweek reached out to representatives for Heard and Depp for comment.

About the writer

Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. She covered general news and politics before joining the culture team and loves to cover news about new books, films, Taylor Swift, BTS, and anything else she might be obsessing over at the moment. Emma joined Newsweek as a fellow in 2021 and came on full-time in January 2022 after graduating from Colorado Christian University in December. You can get in touch with Emma by carrier pigeon or by emailing e.mayer@newsweek.com. Languages: English.


Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more