Actor Johnny Depp smokes during a break at his trial in Fairfax County Courthouse on May 25, 2022 in Fairfax, Virginia.
A Virginia judge denied TMZ’s emergency request to intervene Johnny Depp defamation case against Amber Heard On Wednesday, noting that her former employee appears to have chosen to testify on Pirates of the Caribbean On behalf of the star voluntarily.
“No party has the right to interfere simply because a by-product of the lawsuit negatively affects it,” the judge said Benny Azkarat Found.
Morgan TremainA former reporter for the popular celebrity newspaper, he appeared on the list of expected witnesses before Depp’s rebuttal case began on Tuesday.
“In this case, it appears that the witness is willing to disclose the name of the confidential source without voluntarily forcing it,” Azcaret said. “Whether this violates a non-disclosure agreement with Mr. Tremaine and [TMZ’s parent company] EHM is not considered pertinent to this matter and may be brought in a separate case if EHM so chooses.”
Depp called him to testify about how TMZ obtained a secret video of Depp screaming at Heard.
Late Tuesday, TMZ moved to step in and confirm the press franchise.
“Journalists’ promises of confidentiality are vital to reporting the news,” TMZ lawyers wrote in a 7-page proposal. This is why the law strongly protects journalists’ ability to deliver on their promises. The court should allow TMZ to fulfill the promise I made here.”
The motion claims that Tremaine has no direct knowledge of the source of the footage.
During oral arguments, Depp’s attorney glanced at the popular tabloid, stating that TMZ “is not exactly Edward R. MorrowYour honor,” referring to the famous radio journalist and war correspondent.
TMZ lawyer Charles Tobin He resented that remark.
“It is clear that the First Amendment applies to all, citizens, New York times and TMZ,” Tobin said.
Depp’s lawyer apologized for the statement, adding that there was no “hypocrisy” intended.
“You’re just an arrogant man,” Azcaret said sarcastically.
Ironically, TMZ – who regularly produces celebrity-related scoops – revealed in their move that they learned of Tremaine’s expected testimony from a competitor: radar.
According to a Radar Online report, [Depp] It plans to obtain testimony from Mr. Tremaine regarding TMZ’s confidential source in an attempt to “isolate” the credibility of TMZ. [Heard],” states movement. “Mr. Tremaine was a field mission manager with TMZ at the time of the article’s publication, but is no longer working for the company.”
Heard denied leaking the video on the witness stand.
TMZ wanted to invoke a lien under California law (where it is headquartered) and Virginia law (where the trial is taking place).
The proposal states that “Virginia’s courts recognize a privilege, rooted in the First Amendment, that protects the relationship between journalists and their confidential sources and prohibits disclosure of those confidential sources upon discovery or during trial.”
The defamation cases of Depp and Heard landed in Fairfax County, Virginia, where Washington Post imprinted. In 2018, Heard published an editorial in a newspaper mail She states that she “became a public figure representing domestic violence” two years ago, when she filed a restraining order against Depp in Los Angeles.
Heard responded after Depp’s lawyer called it a “hoax.”
(Photo by Kevin Deitch/Getty Images)
Do you have a tip we should know? [email protected]
