Friday, June 3, 2016

Amber Heard Sues Johnny Depp's Close Friend For Defamation

Danny Moloshok / Reuters

Amber Heard filed a defamation lawsuit Friday against Johnny Depp's close friend claiming he planted a story about her to "divert attention away" from Heard's claims that she was abused by Depp during their marriage.

Heard filed a suit against Depp's friend Doug Stanhope after he authored an op-ed on The Wrap titled "Johnny Depp Is Being Blackmailed By Amber Heard -- Here is How I Know."

Heard claims the op-ed was not only defamatory, but was a classic case of attacking the victim" in an effort to discredit her, to destroy her reputation, and to severely harm her entertainment career, according to the lawsuit filed in Arizona, where Stanhope is resident.

Heard said Stanhope falsely accused her of trying to blackmail Depp even though there is no factual proof to back up his assertion. Heard demanded The Wrap take down the article and issue a retraction, but the article was still online as of publication time Friday.

"The piece stands on it’s own," Thom Geier, deputy manager editor of The Wrap, told BuzzFeed News. "It’s Mr. Stanhope piece about what he experienced. We felt it was newsworthly to put up there and that is what we did."

Heard said during the course of her marriage, Depp was repeatedly physically and emotionally abusive to her. On one occasion, she said Depp choked her to the point where she feared for her life, according to her lawsuit. Heard said Stanhope's article was part of an offensive by others who she has not yet named. After she came forward with her abuse allegations against Depp, Heard said his camp went on "the offensive" during the movie publicity tour to paint her as being manipulative, a blackmailer, and blaming her for the breakup of her marriage to Depp.

The actress filed and was granted a restraining order against Depp May 27 five days after she filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences.

Charles Harder, who is representing Heard, released this statement on why his client decided to take legal action against Stanhope:

"Amber Heard filed a lawsuit today in the Arizona Superior Court for the County of Cochise. The defendant is Doug Stanhope, a resident of that county. The Complaint alleges that Stanhope is a close friend of Johnny Depp and, as part of a coordinated effort, wrote a highly defamatory article about Ms. Heard, filled with completely false, highly defamatory and very hurtful statements. Ms. Heard seeks the maximum possible jury award, and will donate 100% of the proceeds from the lawsuit to Chrysalis, a domestic violence shelter in Arizona, in an effort to counter the setback made to women by the defendants’ defamatory article and related wrongful acts."

Neither Depp's rep nor Stanhope have responded to BuzzFeed News request for comment.