Heard's attorneys ask to overturn verdict in trial vs.
depp 0:42
(Reuters) -
Actress Amber Heard was thwarted on Wednesday in an attempt at a new trial in her libel case with ex-husband Johnny Depp, when a judge rejected her lawyers' argument that one of the jurors had acted improperly.
In June, Heard was ordered to pay Depp $10.35 million in damages after a jury ruled that he had defamed the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star in a newspaper op-ed.
His lawyers had asked the judge in the case to overturn the decision and declare a mistrial, arguing that one of the jurors in the case should have been ineligible because his subpoena was intended for his father, who had the same name and lived in the same direction.
American actress Amber Heard photographed at the trial against Johnny Depp on June 1, 2022. Credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Amber Heard asks court to declare a mistrial in Johnny Depp defamation case over jury problem
Judge Penny Azcarate ruled that there was "no evidence of fraud or misconduct" by the juror and that the verdict should stand.
She also noted that both sides had cross-examined and accepted all jurors at the start of the trial.
"Due process was guaranteed and provided to all parties to this litigation," Azcarate wrote.
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Heard admits to not looking like a good victim 0:51
Depp, 59, had sued Heard, arguing that she had defamed him when he called himself "a public figure representing domestic abuse" in a Washington Post op-ed.
The actor denied hitting Heard, 36, and said it was she who became violent in her relationship.
Heard countersued, saying Depp brought her into disrepute when her lawyer called her accusations "jokes."
The jury awarded Heard $2 million in damages in one of her counterclaims.
Heard said she only hit Depp to defend herself or her sister.
Amber Heard Johnny Depp