Johnny Depp seeks postponement of defamation case to shoot 'Fantastic Beasts 3'
Meanwhile, Amber Heard has filed for a counterclaim against Depp seeking double the amount of compensatory damages he asked from her.
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp will not let anything come between him and his work even if it is a million-dollar court case. As per the latest report, the 57-year-old actor has filed a motion asking the court to delay the trial of his defamation suit against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the reason he has filed the motion for the delay in trial is to accommodate the filming of his upcoming movie "Fantastic Beasts 3." The award-winning actor believes that the delay in the film's production due to the coronavirus pandemic has caused a "scheduling conflict" with the trial.
Production for "Fantastic Beasts 3" was originally planned to occur well before the trial. However, after the complete Hollywood shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the production has been pushed and it will likely to "extend into early 2021." Meanwhile, the trial is set to begin on January 11, 2021 and continue through later that year, creating an overlap between the schedule.
The court filing explains how COVID-19 has disrupted the plans for the shooting of the film. Meanwhile, if he fails to fulfil the contract, he could potentially face liability.
"When the court set the current trial date in this case, Mr. Depp understood that Warner Bros. planned to shoot 'Fantastic Beasts 3' in London long before January 11, 2021," reads the court documents as quoted. "Mr. Depp would face potential liability for breach of contract should he fail to comply with the schedule contractually dictated by Warner Bros. Though Mr. Depp is eager to proceed to trial, he faces an untenable situation over which he has no control."
In addition, the court documents state that Amber Heard "won't be prejudiced by the postponement." The hearing on the request will be on Friday, Sept.11.
In March 2019, Depp sued his ex-wife Heard, to whom he was married for three years, for $50 million for defamation over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018. Without direct reference to Depp, she provided details about the domestic violence she faced during the time she was married to the "Pirates of Caribbean" actor.
As for Heard, she has filed for a counterclaim against Depp seeking double the amount of compensatory damages he asked from her, according to Page Six. As per the publication, she has counter-sued her ex-husband for $100 million, "accusing him of using trolls and fake social media accounts in a 'smear campaign' to ruin her life."
"Not content to let the jury decide this lawsuit, Mr. Depp and/or his agents acting on his behalf have orchestrated a false and defamatory smear campaign," the counterclaim that was filed on Aug. 9 alleged.
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