Johnny Depp’s lawyers are arguing against a motion for his defamation trial verdict to be thrown out, even ifone of the jurors had been fraudulentas suggested byAmber Heard. Following the verdict, which saw the jury siding heavily with Depp, Heard’s lawyers requested a retrial or the verdict to be tossed based on a revelation about one of the jurors. Team Heard alleges that one of the jurors had taken the place of another person who happened to have the same name, and because of this falsehood, they want the verdict nullified.
Team Depp has offered their response in new paperwork filed with the court. Depp’s motion (which can be read in full atDeadline) insists that the court maintain the jury’s decision by rejecting Heard’s “baseless contention” that a retrial needs to happen. It’s argued that there’s no legal reason for the retrial as Depp’s lawyers say a different juror would not have changed the verdict, noting that Heard’s lawyers have failed to show any evidence to the contrary.
“Following a six-week jury trial, a jury of Ms. Heard’s peers rendered a verdict against her in virtually all respects,” the memo reads in part. “Though understandably displeased with the outcome of trial, Ms. Heard has identified no legitimate basis to set aside in any respect the jury’s decision. Virginia law is clear that a verdict is not to be set aside unless it is ‘plainly wrong or without evidence to support it.'"
Team Depp added, “Here, the verdict was well supported by the overwhelming evidence, consistent with the law, and should not be set aside. Mr. Depp respectfully submits that the Court should deny Ms. Heard’s Post-Trial Motions, which verge into the frivolous.”
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Team Depp Says the Fraudulent Juror Didn’t Change the Outcome
Johnny Depp’s lawyers also allege that Team Heard waited to bring forth this information until after the trial simply because the verdict did not go their way. The memo states that Amber Heard knew about the discrepancy in the jury and had “more than enough time” to have it addressed before the trial.
“This is because the Clerk’s Office provided the pre-panel jury list to the parties back on June 07, 2025, more than two months ago and five days before the jury was empaneled,” Depp’s paperwork reads. “In a rare moment of candor, Ms. Heard admits that she was aware of the purported discrepancy in Juror 15’s birth year from the very start of trial because ‘Juror 15 …was clearly born later than 1945.’ Ms. Heard therefore concedes she had more than enough time before the trial started, and during the six-week trial, when at least two alternates were available, to investigate and discover the alleged ‘new’ facts. Clearly, Ms. Heard waived any right to allege ‘new’ facts she chose not to investigate for so long, much less to demand the extraordinary remedy of a mistrial.”
It remains to be seen what effect this request for a retrial will have upon the verdict. Should it be rejected, there still may be an appeal, as Heard’s lawyers have stated their plans to go this route after the verdict was reached. However, they have also said that Heard doesn’t have the funds necessary for the appeal, so it remains unclear if and when that appeal will be formally filed.
