Updates on the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard case - Amber recruits #TimesUp lawyer, ACLU gets involved
Amber Heard wants Johnny Depp's arrest records in defamation fight https://t.co/4qiM5xdSJ4 pic.twitter.com/2HSGv97L6U
- Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 12, 2019
The ongoing case between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp has taken new turns to benefit the actress.
Heard recruited Roberta Kaplan -- who famously led the charge for same-sex marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court before leading the Time’s Up legal defense fund -- to her legal team to fight Johnny Depp. The actor is suing Heard for defamation, alleging that Heard's op-ed of domestic abuse in a 2018 Washington Post article tarnished his reputation.
Kaplan stated a dismissal memorandum, "There is a stark irony at the heart of this case. In December 2018, Defendant Amber Heard published an op-ed calling for 'changes to laws and rules and social norms' so that 'women who come forward to talk about violence receive more support.' She warned that such reform is necessary because powerful men who have been accused of violence will spare nothing to punish and harass their accusers. Months later, Plaintiff John C. Depp, II proved Ms. Heard's point by filing this defamation lawsuit."
Kaplan now wants Depp's arrest records and history of substance abuse, which he's refusing to turn over. The actress argues this information is key to show "the link between substance abuse and violence."
Kaplan stated, "It really is the height of hypocrisy for Mr. Depp, having sued Ms. Heard for $50 million, to refuse to produce evidence of his drug and alcohol addiction on the grounds of 'privacy,' while at the same time opposing a routine protective order that would ensure the privacy of Ms. Heard’s medical records and similar information."
EXCLUSIVE: The ACLU wants to enter the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard defamation case in support of the actress.https://t.co/zI630GdshC
- The Blast (@TheBlastNews) September 16, 2019
The American Civil Liberties Union has also asked to file an amicus brief in the lawsuit to be an advisor on the case. Their involvement would be to assist the court by offering information, expertise, or insight that has a bearing on the issues in the case.
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