Amber Heard’s insurance company REFUSES to cover part of $8 million in damages she owes ex-husband Johnny Depp because her defamation was ‘deliberate and malicious’
- Amber Heard’s insurance company refuses to cover part of the $8.3 million in damages the actress owes ex-husband Johnny Depp after her defamation lawsuit
- Heard had a $1 million liability policy with New York Marine and General Insurance Company that she hoped would cover some of the damage
- Insurance company claims it could refuse $1 million payout if Heard committed ‘deliberate’ misconduct and wants court to agree
- On Friday, Heard’s lawyers filed a second document for a new trial, alleging the wrong person sat on the jury.
- The attorneys said a 77-year-old individual was selected for jury service, but instead a 52-year-old with the same last name and living at the same address served.
- Heard’s lawyers said her ‘right to a jury and fair trial’ had been ‘undermined and compromised’
- They added: ‘Under these circumstances, a mistrial should be declared and a new trial ordered’
- Did not say how the error was discovered, or give the first names of the two judges
Amber heardThe insurance company refuses to cover part of the $8.3 million in damages the actress owes her ex-husband Johnny Depp after her trial for defamation in May.
Heard had a $1 million liability policy with New York Marine and General Insurance Company, which she had hoped would cover at least a portion of the loss bill she must pay.
The policy covers various types of wrongful conduct, including defamation, but there is a clause that will likely make the insurance company refuse to pay. TMZ.
below California law, the state in which the insurance policy was issued, the company claims to be able to refuse payment of one million dollars if Heard committed “deliberate” misconduct.
The New York Marine Company says the judge found Amber’s defamation both “deliberate” and “malicious” in their decision.
The insurance company now wants the judge to declare that based on the policy, they are not going on the line to pay part of Amber’s bill.
Amber Heard’s insurance company refuses to cover part of the $8.3 million in damages the actress owes ex-husband Johnny Depp after her libel lawsuit in May
The effects of the showdown are still messing with Heard‘s lawyers on Friday demanded a new trial in her defamation fight, alleging the wrong person sat on her jury and ruled against her.
Heard’s team filed the court documents in Virginia “based on additional facts discovered,” they said.
Her attorneys allege that two people with the same last name lived in the Virginia home where the jury subpoena was sent in April.
The subpoena was intended for a 77-year-old person, but instead, the 52-year-old appeared in court and served on the jury.
“It is very disturbing for a person who has not been called up for jury duty to still appear for jury duty and serve on a jury, especially in a case like this,” they write.
Johnny Depp was awarded $10 million in damages and $5 million in punitive damages by jury on June 1.
Fans of Depp, 59, are pictured outside the courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia on April 25
The filing notes that Virginia has put in place security measures to prevent these types of mix-ups, such as using a seven-digit jury number, zip code, and date of birth to verify the jurors’ identities.
Depp can be seen on July 6, touring with his band in Germany
“Those safeguards are in place and are being used by the parties to verify the identity of the appropriate juror, to ensure a fair trial and due process for all litigants,” the file reads.
“If these safeguards are circumvented or not followed, as appears to be the case here, the right to a jury trial and a fair trial will be undermined and jeopardized.
“Under these circumstances, a mistrial must be declared and a new trial ordered.”
The document gave no reason why this would have happened or how the situation came to light.
Friday’s filing comes after the actress’ legal team filed claims on July 1 that the verdict at trial was not supported by evidence presented during the six-week hearing.
The July 1 outlined the issue of the ‘wrong’ Juror 15, but didn’t go into as much detail as Friday’s document.
Depp sued his former partner over a 2018 article she wrote for the Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic violence, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of.
On June 1, the jury ruled in his favor.
Heard’s lawyers also said last week that the judge should quash the verdict because the amount awarded to Depp — $10 million in damages and $5 million in punitive damages — was “excessive” and “indefensible.”
She got $2 million.