Amber Heard’s bid for a re-trial in her legal battle with Johnny Depp has been denied.
The actress claimed one of the jurors had not been properly vetted, so the defamation trial should be re-run.
Judge Penney Azcarate threw out her application and said Depp‘s court victory remained and the jury had made a “competent decision”.
Heard‘s lawyers filed papers last week that claimed “newly discovered facts and information” about the juror meant the much-publicised verdict should be declared void.
They said one of those originally summoned to be on the jury, a 77-year-old man, had not appeared and had been replaced by his son – who has the same name and lives at the same address.
Her team also argued the verdict was not supported by evidence presented during the trial, claiming the jury failed to focus on the fallout from the Washington Post article that the trial revolved around.
Judge Azcarate said the juror issue was irrelevant and that Heard couldn’t show she had been prejudiced.
“The juror was vetted, sat for the entire jury, deliberated, and reached a verdict,” she said.
“The only evidence before this court is that this juror and all jurors followed their oaths, the court’s instructions, and orders. This court is bound by the competent decision of the jury.”
Depp’s lawyers had called Heard’s appeal “frivolous” with “no legitimate basis”.
The couple’s case centred over a 2018 article Heard wrote in which she claimed to be a survivor of domestic abuse, but did not name Depp. He sued his ex-wife for defamation, and she countered sued him.
After weeks of lurid testimony about their relationship, Depp was awarded $10.35m (£8.7m) in damages after the jury agreed he had been defamed.
Heard won on one count and was awarded $2m (£1.68m) in damages.
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