Amber Heard has dumped the attorney Elaine Bredehoft who defended her in her unsuccessful defamation trial with Johnny Depp. Her ex-husband Johnny Depp had won the defamation trial against the actress in June.
A jury concluded that Heard defamed Depp in an op-ed about domestic violence. The court had also awarded Johnny Depp a total of $15 million in monetary damages, though it was dropped to $10.35 million due to Virginia law. This fee was because the court had found her guilty of defaming Depp in a newspaper opinion piece published in 2018.
The actress filed a motion to appeal the verdict last month. Elaine Charlson Bredehoft, who represented the actress in the six-week defamation trial, was dumped due to the first trial’s results. Heard has chosen Attorney David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown to take over as the appeal proceeds. The duo represented The New York Times earlier this year in a defamation lawsuit against 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
The lawyers work for Ballard Spahr and have covered various cases, including companies and individuals in high-stakes civil litigation, speakers in First Amendment cases, journalists, and news organizations.
The lawyers released a joint statement saying, “We welcome the opportunity to represent Ms. Heard in this appeal as it is a case with important First Amendment implications for every American. We’re confident the appellate court will apply the law properly without deference to popularity, reverse the judgment against Ms. Heard, and reaffirm the fundamental principles of Freedom of Speech.”
Ben Rottenborn, who served as Bredehoft’s co-counsel during the Depp v. Heard trial, is also on Heard’s team. However, Bredehoft dismissed this shakeup as she said she could not wait to get back to her other clients who needed her.
“We strongly recommended that here, and we have been assisting Ms. Heard in the process of interviewing and finding her counsel. I have a pretty heavy case load, including a six-week trial this fall. My clients have been very patient, and I really need to get back to them.”
Heard’s spokesman announced on Monday, “When it comes to protecting the fundamental right of Freedom of Speech, we look at the jury’s decision — to paraphrase a famous quote — not ‘as the beginning of the end, but merely the end of the beginning.’ A different court warrants different representation, particularly as so much new evidence is now coming to light.”
‘Perfect time to pass the baton’: Amber Heard dumps lawyer from unsuccessful trial https://t.co/EoFJVt7iIt
— Newshub ENT (@NewshubENT) August 16, 2022
Following this trial, Heard took a shot at the jury as she suggested that she lost the case because it was against the famous Depp. However, she said she does not blame them as she understands that his charms swayed them. After all, he was a well-known and loved actor.
In addition, Heard emphasized that social media was “unfair” to her, too, even if you think she did perpetrate fraud against Depp.
She added that she was used to getting judged unfairly by the public. However, they had no right to judge what was happening in her home. She said that no one knows the absolute truth about the matter other than she and her ex-husband and that the public should respect that.
Depp, on the contrary, said the verdict gave him his “life back” and took aim at the media for helping Heard peddle a false narrative about him.
This story syndicated with permission from For the Love of News
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