Amber Heard's new legal team has been revealed less than a month after she officially filed a motion to appeal the verdict in her ex-husband Johnny Depp's defamation case against her.
According to E! News, the star has hired the Ballard Spahr firm as her lead appellate counsel.
Heading Heard's team will be David L. Axelrod and Jay Ward Brown, who previously defended the New York Times against Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit earlier this year.
"We welcome the opportunity to represent Ms. Heard in this appeal as it is a case with important First Amendment implications for every American," the attorneys said in a joint statement to E! News. "We're confident the appellate court will apply the law properly without deference to popularity, reverse the judgment against Ms. Heard, and reaffirm the fundamental principles of Freedom of Speech."
Ben Rottenborn will continue to represent Heard as co-counsel, but Elaine Charlson Bredehoft announced that she will be stepping away from the case.
"This is the perfect time to pass the baton," she said. "I have pledged to Amber and her appellate team my complete cooperation and assistance as they move forward on a path towards success."
Commenting on why Heard had hired additional lawyers, her spokesperson explained that the decision was linked to new evidence emerging.
"When it comes to protecting the fundamental right of Freedom of Speech, we look at the jury's decision — to paraphrase a famous quote — not 'as the beginning of the end, but merely the end of the beginning,'" Heard's spokesperson said. "A different court warrants different representation, particularly as so much new evidence is now coming to light."
The news comes after documents related to the case that were not allowed to be addressed in court were unsealed. These documents include anecdotes about Depp that Heard's team was not permitted to mention as well as quotes from video testimonies by many famous figures.
Depp meanwhile will reportedly return to directing, helming a film about celebrated Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This marks his first directing stint since 1997's "The Brave," in which he and Marlon Brando starred. Depp will also be producing the film alongside actor Al Pacino.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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