A judge has ruled that Johnny Depp’s history with Aquaman star Amber Heard will be excluded in the Fantastic Beasts stars upcoming assault trial.
In July 2018, Gregg “Rocky” Brooks sued Johnny Depp for allegedly assaulting him on the set of City of Lies in April 2017. The plaintiff claims Johnny Depp punched him twice in the rib cage after losing his temper over a scheduling issue before the actor was “physically removed” from the set while screaming at Brooks, saying “I will give you $100,000 to punch me in the face right now!”
Now, Judge Holly J. Fujie has ruled that Johnny Depp’s relationship with his ex-wife and Aquaman star Amber Heard will be off-limits in the upcoming assault trial, as will evidence of the Fantastic Beasts stars alleged alcohol and drug abuse. Furthermore, Judge Fujie granted Johnny Depp’s request to have his “financial condition” kept away from jurors ahead of the assault trial’s start date on October 21 in Los Angeles.
Johnny Depp argued for his history with Aquaman‘s Amber Heard, who has accused him of domestic abuse, to be excluded in the trial as the details of their divorce could “improperly sway the jury.” In filings obtained by The Daily News, Johnny Depp’s lawyers made the following argument in favor of excluding the actor’s history with Amber Heard:
Mr. Depp and Ms. Heard divorced in 2016, and Ms. Heard made false accusations about purported domestic abuse, which are the subject of an ongoing action in the State of Virginia commenced by Mr. Depp against Ms. Heard for defamation. […] The issues in this case are narrow: either Mr. Depp assaulted Mr. Brooks on the date of the incident, or he did not. Any commentary or evidence regarding Mr. Depp’s unrelated disputes with Ms. Heard is entirely irrelevant.”
Aquaman star Amber Heard and Johnny Depp had reached a join settlement in August 2016, with both actors releasing a joint statement saying neither party made “false accusations for financial gain.”
Johnny Depp is currently set to reprise his role as Grindelwald in the third Fantastic Beasts film while Amber Heard is expected to return as Mera in the Aquaman sequel. In the meantime, fans can revisit Amber Heard’s first appearance as Mera on all home media formats of Aquaman.
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an acition-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be… a king.
Directed by James Wan, Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Patrick Wilson as Orm / Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry.
Aquaman is available on Digital HD, 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD.
Source: Daily News
