Johnny Depp wants defamation case trial against Amber Heard postponed
What's the story
Legendary actor Johnny Depp wants the hearings of the defamation case he has lodged against his ex-wife Amber Heard to be delayed. It so happened that Warner Bros. is resuming shooting of the third instalment of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the dates clash with hearings, to be held at the Fairfax County, Virginia court. Hence, he wants them postponed.
Request
Depp has submitted requisite documents at the said court
The third part of the film has its principal photography starting from October in London and will end by February 2021. Meanwhile, the current dates of the court hearing are between January 11-28, 2021. Due to this clash, Depp has submitted requisite documents at the said court, requesting the judge to postpone the hearing of this case to anytime between March and June 2021.
Details
Heard has agreed to discuss postponement on September 11
Depp's filing maintains that due to the unforeseen situation of COVID-19, Warner Bros. had canceled shoot of this film indefinitely. Now that the situation in London has improved, shooting will resume but if Depp stays absent, he "would face potential liability for breach of contract." The filing adds that Heard has agreed to meet on September 11 to discuss the postponement.
Development
Depp had filed this case against Heard last year
To recall, Depp had filed this case last year against Heard in the US State of Virginia for a column in Washington Post written by her. In that, the Aquaman star addressed herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." She didn't name Depp in the write-up titled I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change.
Cases
The actor had also lodged complaint against The Sun
In the same year, the Pirates of the Caribbean star filed another lawsuit against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of tabloid The Sun, for publishing an article in 2018 in which the actor was termed a "wife-beater." Depp rubbished this "career-ending allegation." However, the tabloid had Heard as the main witness and the case, although wrapped up, has not yet reached its verdict.