Lower than a day after Amber Heard gave formal discover of her intent to enchantment the decision in Johnny Depp’s defamation trial towards her, the Aquaman star’s ex-husband has launched his personal countermove.

In paperwork filed this morning in Fairfax County, the previous Pirates of the Caribbean actor has put his authorized gamers on the board. “Plaintiff and Counterclaim-Defendant John C. Depp, II, by counsel, hereby appeals to the Court docket of Appeals of Virginia from all opposed rulings and from the ultimate judgment order of this Circuit Court docket entered on June 24, 2022,” mentioned the four-page discover of enchantment (learn it right here).

A authorized tactic proper now, Depp’s enchantment is as a lot in pure response to Heard’s enchantment of July 21 as it’s an effort to attempt to claw again the $2 million award that the Virginia jury gave Heard in her $100 million countersuit towards Depp and his 2019 $50 million grievance.

On June 1, after. six-week lengthy and infrequently express and bitter proceedings, the seven-person panel handed a close to complete win to Depp with damages of roughly $15 million. That award was carved all the way down to about $10.three million by Decide Penny Azcarate below the cap placed on punitive damages by the statutes of the Outdated Dominion.

“This was an overwhelmingly constructive verdict for Mr. Depp,” a supply near the Jeff Beck sideman’s camp informed Deadline Friday, lower than 24 hours after Heard filed her lengthy anticipated paperwork.

“The decision speaks for itself, and Mr. Depp believes that it is a time for each events to maneuver on with their lives and heal,” the supply added. “But when Ms. Heard is decided to pursue additional litigation by interesting the decision, Mr. Depp is submitting a concurrent enchantment to make sure that the total file and all related authorized points are thought-about by the Court docket of Enchantment.”

Reps for Heard didn’t reply to request for remark Friday on Depp’s enchantment discover

This checkmate of kinds at the moment is simply the most recent authorized interplay between the Rum Diary co-stars since their short-lived marriage collapsed in 2016 amidst allegations of abuse, a short lived restraining order towards Depp, and a media feeding frenzy.

Depp sued his Heard in March 2019 for $50 million over a late 2018 Washington Publish op-ed she bylined about changing into “a public determine representing home abuse.” Although the ACLU-crafted article within the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper by no means talked about Depp by title, he claimed it “devastated” his already dimming blockbuster profession. Although he mentioned nothing through the couple’s 2016 divorce, on his filings and on the stand within the Virginia trial, Depp has additionally now insisted he was in reality the one who was abused within the relationship.

Having failed repeatedly to get the case dismissed or moved out of Virginia earlier than the trial commenced, Heard in countersued for $100 million two years in the past That motion got here months earlier than Depp’s UK libel case towards The Solar tabloid for calling him a “spouse beater” proved unsuccessful.

On the trial earlier this 12 months, Heard alleged in her testimony below oath that Depp sexual assaulted her on quite a few events, in addition to bodily and psychologically abusing her throughout their relationship. A declare the actor vehemently denied in his personal testimony afterwards.

Quick and livid on so many ranges, Depp’s discover of enchantment and Heard’s from Thursday come simply over per week after Azcarate dismissed an formidable try by the latter’s Elaine Bredehoft-led crew to throw the $10.three million award and verdict in Depp’s favor and get an entire new trial. Depp’s Brown Rudnick legal professionals known as the trouble “baseless” and “frivolous.”

Although they cited the truth that it appears the incorrect particular person was seated on the jury, Heard’s attorneys had been soundly rebuffed by Azcarate on July 13. “The juror was vetted, sat for the complete jury, deliberated, and reached a verdict,” mentioned the Fairfax County decide , who presided over the someday circus-like trial that began in mid-April. “The one proof earlier than this Court docket is that this juror and all jurors adopted their oaths, the Court docket’s directions, and orders. This Court docket is certain by the competent resolution of the jury.”