Johnny Depp 'gratified' after US court allows actor to proceed with $50 mn defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard

A Virginia judge has allowed actor Johnny Depp to proceed with his $50 million defamation lawsuit against ex-wife and actor Amber Heard. The judge ruled that the case would not be dismissed, rejecting Heard’s plea to scrap the proceedings. Depp’s lawyer Ben Chew said the Fantastic Beasts star " is most gratified by the Court’s decision", reports Deadline. Heard tried to dismiss the case, her third attempt so far, on the basis of Depp losing a libel lawsuit in the United Kingdom last year. The lawsuit was against tabloid The Sun, which had designated the Depp as a “wife-beater”. The judge ruled that both cases were different since Heard was a witness in the libel case, but not a party. While writing her opinion, judge Penney Azcarate wrote that the Aquaman actor’s claims for dismissing the case were unfounded, stating that “upholding English libel judgments in the United States would create a chilling effect,” adding it “could create a dangerous precedent”. The Virginia lawsuit also alleges that Depp was the victim of domestic violence in his marriage with Heard and her allegations about domestic violence cost him film roles. The case proceedings will commence in April 2022. The verdict marks a victory for Depp in his long-running acrimonious legal battle with Heard. The verdict comes on the heels of another ruling by a New York judge which permitted Depp to determine if his ex-wife did donate a part of their $7 million divorce settlement to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Depp has recently alleged that he has been “ boycotted ” by Hollywood since he lost the libel case in the UK. Depp had a whirlwind romance and marriage with Heard when the two met on the sets of their movie Rum Diary. The couple divorced in 2016. Since then, the Minamata actor has been involved in a high-profile legal battle with his ex-wife, with both accusing the other of domestic violence.