Amber Heard has given just $550,000 of her $7 million Johnny Depp divorce settlement that she publicly stated was going in full to charity, lawyers for Depp have claimed in the Court of Appeal.
Speaking as Depp lodged an appeal against last year’s liable ruling against Newsgroup Newspapers LTD, his lawyer Andrew Caldecott QC claimed that there was a “deception of the court” by Amber Heard during the trial which took place last summer.
Heard’s claim that she gave her $7m (£5.5m) divorce settlement to charity was a “calculated and manipulative lie”, Caldecott said.
He claimed that despite making it seem in court that, like her public pledge made in 2016, all $7 million of her divorce settlement would go to charity, such an act has not been fulfilled.
Heard previously stated the money would be split equally between the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles where she has volunteered and American Civil Liberty.
Caldecott claimed that documents claim Ms Heard will pay the money in instalments and so far the only donation has been for $100,000.
A further $450,000 dollars has been given to American Civil Liberty.
Depp’s team argue that allegedly false evidence “tips the scales against Mr Depp from the very beginning”.
They add that such a donation would have been a “remarkable act of philanthropy if true”.
(Image: PA)
Depp took part in a blockbuster three-week trial in July 2020 against the publishers of The Sun, News Group Newspapers Ltd, with ex-wife Amber Heard appearing as the star witness for the defence.
On Thursday, Depp asked the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal against the ruling.
Barrister David Sherborne filed documents in February to ask the court to “set aside the judgment and order a new trial”.
Depp’s legal team argued that the initial judgement by Mr Justice Nicol is “plainly wrong”.
However, News Group Newspapers dispute this – insisting a “painstaking analysis of the evidence” was conducted.
They add that “There is no basis to conclude that the judge failed to examine the evidence or provide reasons for his findings.”
(Image: REUTERS)
Mr Justice Nicol concluded on the balance of probabilities that 12 of 14 alleged incidents of domestic violence committed by Depp against Heard did occur. It was also ruled that on three occasions Depp put Heard in “fear for her life”.
Despite this, Depp’s lawyers argue that “the judge should have analysed the extent to which Ms Heard’s evidence undermined her credibility in relation to her allegations of physical assault/injury”.
They claim that Mr Justice Nicol “took little or no account of the striking examples of Ms Heard’s willingness to lie or commit wrongdoing”.
After completing her evidence, Amber Heard gave a surprise statement on the step of the court last year.
As we, the world’s media watched, the actress said: “I travelled here to the UK to testify as a witness to assist the court.
“After obtaining a restraining order in 2016 and finalising my divorce, I just wanted to move on with my life. I did not file this lawsuit and, despite its significance, I would have preferred not to be here in court.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“It has been incredibly painful to relive the break up of my relationship, have my motives and my truth questioned, and the most traumatic and intimate details of my life with Johnny shared in court and broadcast around the world.
“I stand by my testimony and I now place my faith in British justice.
“Although I did not bring this lawsuit, I am aware of the precious resources being consumed by his litigation and will be glad to see those resources redirected to more important legal matters delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
