Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard What if Depp loses the lawsuit?
Lawsuits between actors and ex-husbands will definitely continue to affect
their professional careers, however, there is a general perception that Depp
would be the one to lose the most if the ruling goes against him.
Depp vs Heard, who is right in the controversial trial that just
started?
Amber Heard's friend was kicked out of the courtroom during Johnny
Depp's trial
The environment of a scandal of stars like that of the actors
and ex-husbands Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, in addition to giving audience
to the media that cover it, also feeds the curiosity of the public, follower
or not of any of them, but who does not have a specialized and authoritative
opinion on these issues. Either way, they are public figures and their
exposure arouses all kinds of interest and opinion.
Many people wonder why Depp is risking so much in his latest
court battle against his former romantic partner.
The 58-year-old "Pirates of the Caribbean" star has filed a $50
million lawsuit against Heard, 35, alleging that she defamed him in an op-ed
published by The Washington Post in 2018. Heard has countersued for $100
million.
The latest trial, which began Monday, April 11, in Virginia,
comes less than two years after Depp lost a 2020 defamation case against
British tabloid The Sun, which had labeled the actor a "beater." of wives"
in reference to Heard's accusations of domestic abuse.
What would be the price that Johnny Depp would pay?
Alex Wade, a law partner at the law firm Wiggin LLP, said the
Virginia trial was "the last roll of the dice" for the actor, but that jury
trials have an "inherent unpredictability."
"This is absolutely the last roll of the dice for him," Mr.
Wade told the PA news agency, at the conclusion of the first week of the US
trial. "If he loses this, it's impossible to see him come back, I think, as
an actor."
"Hollywood absolutely loves bad boys, but in the wake of the
#MeToo hashtag, the way we see these things in the world today is that you
can't be a bad boy anymore. This is abuse. This is active misogyny." Wade
added. "Personally, I find it very difficult for a Hollywood studio to
rehire Depp if he loses this case."
From his perspective as the case has unfolded, Wade said the
actor "needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat," but that it was "possible"
that his extensive legal team, several of whom have flanked him in court,
could still produce that act of magic.
But what if Johnny Depp wins the case?
Although questions remain about why Depp is willing to bear the
financial cost and risk of further damage to his reputation with his latest
lawsuit, California First Amendment attorney Jeff Lewis told Newsweek that
the actor is taking the right step.
"The expense is inconsequential to Depp compared to the
possibility of regaining his film career," said Lewis, founder of Jeff Lewis
Law. "And you have to keep in mind that, unlike England, here in the United
States we have the rule that each party bears his lawyer's fees."
"So if Depp loses, he won't have to pay Heard's legal fees and
vice versa. So it's relatively easy to calculate the monetary investment
needed to go to trial and appeal."
Lewis continued, "The reason Depp is going ahead is because of
the millions of dollars that can be made in movies if his name is
cleared."
"Let's remember that Robert Downey Jr.'s career was in the
doldrums for a long time before Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes came out. This
trial - and a positive verdict for Depp - may accelerate the recovery curve
and get Depp back in business." Lewis concluded.
