Johnny Depp Is "Pleased" After Judge Denies Amber Heard's Request To Dismiss Defamation Case

Johnny Depp is "pleased" that the judge has denied Amber Heard's request to dismiss the ongoing defamation case.

Depp, 58, is currently embroiled in a multi-million dollar defamation with his ex-wife, in which she is countersuing the

the Chocolat star after he sued her for claiming in a newspaper article that she had been the victim of domestic violence. 

A spokesperson for the Pirates of the Caribbean star told Us Weekly: "We are pleased at Chief Judge Azcarate’s ruling to continue with the trial after Mr Rottenborn failed to convince the court that there was reason to dismiss the case. We stand confident in the future of the case and for the truth to be continued to be shared."

Depp's rep went on to express their satisfaction for the way the trial has been going after the finished his multi-day testimony last week.

The rep added: "Over the last three and a half weeks, we’ve seen and heard from nearly 30 witnesses who have attested to and supported Mr Depp’s claims that Ms Heard defamed him in her 2018 op-ed. Ms Heard’s reckless op-ed, in turn, caused him to lose a $22.5 million deal with Disney for Pirates of the Caribbean 6, resulting in an overall loss of earnings of over $40 million since December 18, 2018.

"Numerous witnesses have testified that Ms Heard engaged in psychological, verbal and physical abuse toward Mr Depp."

The news comes just a day after it was alleged that Aquaman actress Amber, 36, had "struck" her former husband — who she was married to for less than two years between 2015 and 2017 — across the face during an altercation.

Depp's security guard Travis McGivern told the court on Monday (May 2) : "I felt it was time to get Mr Depp out of the situation. I stepped in between Ms Heard and Mr. Depp, telling Mr. Depp we were leaving and it wasn't up to him anymore.
"At that point out of the corner of my eye I saw a fist and an arm come across my right shoulder and I heard and saw a closed fist contact Mr. Depp in the left side of his face."

In other bad news for Heard, she is said to have fired her crisis PR firm due to frustration over media coverage of the trial that has favoured Depp. 

NBC News reported that Heard dropped Precision Strategies, a New York-based firm co-founded by Stephanie cutter, a former advisor to President Barack Obama during his first presidential term, and engaged Shane Communications, a corporate communications consulting firm that previously worked against Depp.

The firm represented Depp's former business managers, The Management Group, when the actor suited them for fraud and breach of contract in 2017. — BANG SHOWBIZ