Judge Denies Johnny Depp's Request To Dismiss Amber Heard's Counterclaim; DC Boss Reveals Why Actress' Role Reduced in 'Aquaman 2'

The legal team for Johnny Depp was unsuccessful in their bid to have Amber Heard's $100 million counterclaims dismissed on Tuesday (May 24), as Amber Heard's attorneys rested their case in the defamation trial.

After lawyers for Johnny Depp and Amber Heard both presented arguments concerning the countersuit, Judge Penney Azcarate noted at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia that it is not her responsibility to judge the truth or weight of the evidence.

Johnny Depp's Motion To Strike Amber Heard's Counterclaim Denied

Although Johnny Depp is not mentioned in the article, Heard has previously accused the actor of assaulting her, which he denies. Amber Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim in response to Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman's claims that the actress' abuse allegations were fiction. Rottenborn's argument came after Depp attorney Benjamin Chew filed a motion to dismiss the complaint on Tuesday.

Last month, Johnny Depp testified for four days, insisting he never hit Heard and accusing her of frequently getting physically violent with him. He claimed to have had his middle finger amputated after Heard hurled a bottle at him in Australia in 2015.

Amber Heard finished her four-day testimony last Thursday, claiming she never mistreated Depp and that the actor damaged his finger by shattering a phone. She detailed other events in which Depp allegedly mistreated her, including accusing him of sexually assaulting her with a bottle in Australia.

Her lawyers rested their case on Tuesday without asking Johnny Depp to testify. The trial's closing arguments are scheduled on Friday, The Star reported.

The Truth in Amber Heard's Aquaman Role

Meanwhile, a Warner Bros official testified that Amber Heard's position as Mera in Aquaman 2 was unaffected by the claims leveled against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp. 'The Pirates of the Caribbean' actor's side launched their counter case with a video deposition from Walter Hamada, who is in charge of DC-based films. In his deposition, Hamada revealed that Heard had an option deal with Warner Bros to portray Mera in the Aquaman franchise.

He also stated that there has been a delay in casting owing to continuing conversations about recasting the character of Mera due to chemistry difficulties between Aquaman's Jason Momoa and Heard.

Hamada's testimony comes a day after Heard's representative testified that Momoa was keen about reprising her part in the upcoming sequel. Heard previously testified that her involvement in Aquaman 2 was drastically reduced due to her legal dispute with Depp. Meanwhile, a petition demanding her removal from the Aquaman sequel has over 4.5 million signatures.

Johnny Depp's Ex-Girlfriend Kate Moss To Testify in Trial

Furthermore, British supermodel Kate Moss will testify on behalf of Johnny Depp in his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard on Wednesday. Kate Moss, 48, will testify via video connection about an event that occurred when she was walking down some steps in Jamaica. She was wearing flip-flops and slipped on the last two stairs. Johnny caught her and cared for her, a source told the New York Post.

After Amber Heard, 36, told jurors about a dispute with Depp, 58, near a staircase in the couple's Los Angeles apartment in March 2015, the cat walker was dragged into the complex court battle. Amber Heard said that she and Depp were arguing over the actor's alleged adultery when she saw him ready to push her sister, Whitney Henriquez Heard, down a flight of stairs. Heard said she punched Depp for the first time, and it was her first punch.

As JohnnyDepp smirked, his attorney, Ben Chew, turned to his staff and did a fist pump. The mention of Moss allowed Depp's team to call the model as a witness to dispute the claim. Moss, who dated Depp from 1994 to 1997, is anticipated to testify that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star was never aggressive towards her, according to Independent.