Amber Heard argues errors led to Johnny Depp’s defamation trial win in new appeal docs
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation trial may be over, but the former couple’s court battles continue. In new documents filed as part of Amber’s appeal to the June defamation trial verdict — which found the stars defamed each other but awarded millions more in damages to Johnny than to Amber — the actress details more than a dozen reasons why the verdict should not be allowed to stand, multiple outlets reported Monday (Dec. 5). Among those errors is the Virginia setting for the trial, which Amber’s attorneys say makes no sense she wrote the 2018 op-ed Johnny took issue with in California, then submitted it to the New York-based ACLU, which passed it on to the Washington Post, which published it online, according to Jezebel. Amber was further disadvantaged by the location because she couldn’t subpoena witnesses, her legal team argues. The new court docs also argue Amber should not have been barred from submitting essential evidence proving Johnny’s alleged abuse, among other things. “This case also should never have gone to trial because another court had already concluded that Depp abused Heard on multiple occasions,” her lawyers add, referencing their 2020 courtroom showdown in the U.K. In the June 2022 verdict, jurors said Amber’s op-ed defamed Johnny more than comments Johnny’s lawyer made publicly about Amber defamed her. They initially awarded him a total of $15 million dollars in damages, while Amber was awarded just $2 million. In her appeal, Amber concludes, “That holding, if allowed to stand, undoubtedly will have a chilling effect on other women who wish to speak about abuse involving powerful men.” Johnny is also seeking to appeal Amber’s $2 million damages award.
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Prince Harry recalls being ‘terrified’ for Meghan after what happened to Princess Diana
In a new trailer for Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s upcoming Netflix docu-series, viewers see footage of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, trying to shield herself from throngs of pushy paparazzi. “I was terrified. I didn’t want history to repeat itself,” Harry says in the clip, clearly referencing the press attention that led to Diana’s fatal car accident. Volume I of “Harry & Meghan” hits Netflix on Thursday (Dec. 8), promising an “in-depth” look at “the other side of” the couple’s “high-profile love story.” The new trailer features Harry discussing the “pain” caused by negative coverage of his mother and wife, along with talking heads chiming in with assertions like, “It’s about hatred. It’s about race.” Back on-camera, Harry explains, “There’s a hierarchy of the family, you know, there’s leaking, but there’s also planting of stories. It’s a dirty game. … The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution, this feeding frenzy.” A montage of negative headlines about Diana follows, along with footage of her in a car, as Harry implies he worried the same fate would befall Meghan. As the trailer comes to an end, he says, “No one knows the full truth. We know the full truth.” The first installment of the docu-series comes one week after Prince William’s godmother (and former lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II), Lady Susan Hussey, resigned, having been called out for the racist questions she asked a British charity leader at a palace event. The six-part “Harry & Meghan” series is set to air as part of the couple’s multi-year Netflix deal, which they secured after stepping down from their posts as senior working members of the British royal family.
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ABC takes ‘GMA3’ co-host couple off the air
In the wake of a maelstrom of tabloid headlines about their romantic relationship, “GMA3” anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes were taken off the air on Monday (Dec. 5). According to the New York Times, ABC News president Kim Godwin told editorial staff on a call Monday morning that the anchors’ romance was an “internal and external distraction.” That distraction began last week, when the Daily Mail reported the stars, who are both newly separated from their spouses, were involved in a months-long affair. As more tabloids picked up the story, a rep for the pair told news outlets the two “had been close friends for many years but this relationship started over the past few months, after they separated from their respective spouses in August.” The rep added that they’d kept the relationship under wraps “because they were waiting until they both were divorced.” Speaking to editorial staffers on Monday, Kim Godwin noted Amy and T.J. had not violated company policy — though she did not indicate when they might return to “GMA3,” if at all. “I’m asking that we stop whispering about it in the hallways,” she reportedly told the staff. On Monday, ABC News correspondents Gio Benitez and Stephanie Ramos stepped in for Amy and T.J., who said nothing explicit about the romance when they were on the air last week. On Friday’s broadcast, however, T.J. joked that it had “been a great week,” telling Amy sarcastically, “I just want it to keep going, and going, and going.” Amy laughed and replied, “Speak for yourself.”
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George Clooney jokingly details ‘horrible’ Gladys Knight moment from pre-Kennedy Center Honors dinner
A slew of stars converged in Washington, D.C. over the weekend to celebrate this year’s class of Kennedy Center honorees — U2, Amy Grant, Tania Leon, Gladys Knight and George Clooney and Tania Leon. Both the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday (Dec. 4) and the previous night’s dinner at the State Department gave honorees plenty of chances to cheer for one another’s contributions to American culture. But for George, a massive Gladys Knight fan — and the honoree slated to receive his medallion right after Gladys received hers — one of those moments turned out to be kind of a nightmare. “Gladys got up and sang and, you know, just a cappella started to sing …,” George told NPR when asked about the State Department dinner. “The only thing that was terrible was that I had to follow,” he explained. “So there’s 300 people in the room going, this is transcendent — and I’m like ‘God, this is horrible! I have follow Gladys Knight!”
Nick Cannon honors late son Zen amid pneumonia battle
It’s been a rough few days for Nick Cannon. Over the weekend, the “Masked Singer” host told fans he was hospitalized for pneumonia the day after his sold-out performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Nick, 42, suffers fromlupus, making a bout with pneumonia potentially more serious. But he assured fans on Instagram the illness was “nothing I can’t handle.” By Monday, though, Nick was wrestling with a heavier challenge as he marked the first anniversary of his 5-month-old son, Zen’s death. “Physically I’m definitely on the mend but Mentally and Spiritually I’m broken,” Nick wrote on Instagram alongside photos of Zen, whose mom is Alyssa Scott. “Been tossing and turning all night, and as much as I know I need rest, last night I couldn’t sleep at all. I can’t believe it’s been a year already since the toughest day of my life occurred,” he continued. “Losing a child has to be the heaviest, most dark and depressive experiences that I will never get over. A mixture of guilt, pain, and sorrow is what I suppress daily. … I love hard, I love big and I love with my entire Heart and Soul and I just wish my Little Man could’ve felt more of that love while he was here on Earth.” Later in the lengthy post, he recalled having been told by a “spiritual leader” he was “in the midst of one of the most challenging seasons” of his life, and “encouraged” to remember such times would give him strength. After asking for prayers, he closed by writing, “Continue to Peacefully Rest My Son, Zen Scott Cannon. We Love you Eternally ❤️🩹🙏🏾.” Zen died in December 2021 after losing his battle with brain cancer.
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