6h 30min, apr 19, 2019 y - DAILY MAIL EXCLUSIVE: Amber Heard must now be deposed in Johnny Depp malpractice lawsuit against Bloom

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FROM THE DAILY MAIL:

EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Depp pulls ex Amber Heard into yet ANOTHER legal battle as the actress must now be deposed in the star's $30M malpractice lawsuit against his divorce lawyers - amid his ongoing $50M defamation suit against her abuse claims

By LOUISE BOYLE

Amber Heard is being called to give even more evidence on her messy divorce from Johnny Depp, according to the latest filing in one of the Pirate of the Caribbean star's ongoing legal battles, exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com.

This time, Depp, 55, is suing his former law firm for $30million over claims of negligence.

The firm - Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman - says Depp has recently accused them of malpractice in connection with his divorce from Heard and therefore will need to depose the actress in order to build a defense in the case.

The firm asks that the plaintiffs - named as Depp and his film companies Scaramanga Bros and Infinitum Nihil, respond in writing to their questions – and demand the ability to ask Depp more questions over his 'newly articulated theories'.

Bloom & Co previously told the court that Depp had failed to supply documents and information, and while the judge ordered the star to give more detailed answers to a number of questions, he denied some of the firm's demands.

The new filing reads: 'This is not idle speculation: for example, in the last three months, Plaintiffs have begun to accuse Defendants of malpractice in connection with Depp's divorce from Amber Heard.

'Plaintiffs' supplemental written discovery responses should clarify whether (or how) Plaintiffs believe Defendants were responsible for the purported mismanagement of Depp's divorce (even though Depp had separate counsel in that divorce proceeding).'

On March 29, Depp's lawyer told the court that he would be providing information that would make 'all aspects of the malpractice claim… very clear'.

Bloom & Co say that this means they 'will then need to conduct additional discovery regarding those other aspects, such as documents and depositions from Depp's divorce attorneys, Ms. Heard, and numerous witnesses to incidents allegedly occurring between Mr. Depp and Ms. Heard, in order to defend themselves from charges that they were somehow responsible for Mr. Depp's divorce settlement'.

Heard filed for divorce from Depp in May 2016 stating that he had been 'verbally and physically' abusive towards her.

Their divorce was finalized in January 2017, with the actress receiving a $7million settlement.

The request, filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, also asks for 'a new trial date that reflects the reality of the status of discovery and document productions in the case'.

The case was due in court on September 16 after being pushed back from May 6.

Bloom & Co. now want the case to be pushed back again, suggesting that it would take them at least six months to prepare, and calling the September date 'unrealistic'.

Depp also accused his former attorneys of conspiring with his ex-business managers, The Management Group (TMG), to cheat him out of millions, blaming Bloom & Co. for allegedly failing to alert him to their actions despite knowing what was going on.

The lawyers say that TMG has been slow to produce an estimated 1.5 million documents that they need to build their defense, despite requesting the paperwork in November 2017.

It reads: 'Plaintiffs consistently refused to produce these documents, but have now finally agreed to produce nearly all of the documents (though not documents relating to a SEC investigation of TMG) produced in the TMG litigation.'

The law firm is also requesting to depose Johnny Depp; his sister Christi Dembrowski; his current manager Edward White and others who worked for him.

Last month, a judge ordered that Depp's case against his lawyers be pushed back in order to provide more time to submit testimonies and 'unwind the actor's tangled affairs'.

The judge warned both sides could have moved quicker and have caused the case to drag on by engaging in 'a great deal of finger-pointing concerning whose fault it is'.

Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman, told The Blast: 'Bloom is accused among other things of a failure to supervise the fraudulent activity of the Mandel Brothers/TMG, Mr. Depp's former business managers who are under multiple federal criminal investigations and whose offices were raided by the FBI in June 2017.

'Judge Green agreed to move their trial from May to September, and ruled that Bloom is entitled to Mandel's sealed documents.'

Waldman also slammed the lawyers for their behavior during Johnny's divorce from Heard.

Waldman added: 'Part of Bloom's defense is that he did a good job on Mr. Depp's divorce. But the facts are these: some of Mr. Depp's legal dream team of five Hollywood lawyers reviewed the entire surveillance video library taken of Ms. Heard, her friends, Elon Musk and others captured by 24 surveillance cameras in the Eastern Columbia Building and the 87 surveillance videos that these lawyers set aside.

'Then Mr. Depp's lawyers took sworn declarations from multiple eyewitnesses. Some on Mr. Depp's legal team secretly represented Elon Musk. Some of Mr. Depp's legal team then hid for nearly three years this exculpatory evidence from Mr. Depp that disproved the malicious hoax perpetrated against him by Amber Heard.'

Bloom & Co. have denied all allegations of wrongdoing and insisted they never conspired against the actor.

They have filed a countersuit, accusing Depp of causing his own damages due to his own misconduct and negligence, claiming he hadn't paid them for months, despite the lawyers continuing to work for him.

The actor denied owing any money, claiming he had paid tens of millions over the years and argued the firm are barred from trying to collect unpaid dues because they never signed an official retainer, describing their agreement as 'illegal'.

Depp has also has filed a $50million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, 32, in which he claims her accusations of domestic abuse were an 'elaborate hoax'.

His legal team have apparently interviewed a number people under oath, who all claimed they saw no visible injuries on Heard when they interacted with her following an alleged altercation.

In transcripts obtained by The Blast, four employees and one neighbor from the couple's former apartment building were deposed and asked about any sign of abuse they may have seen between the pair and all insisted there were none.

Trinity Esparaza, who owns the building's concierge services company, encountered the actress a number of times following an alleged incident on May 21, including two days afterwards, when she did not see any visible injuries to Amber's face or body.

But she noted on May 27 - the day the Aquaman star filed for a temporary restraining order and accused her then-husband of spousal abuse - that she was sporting a 'red cut underneath her right eye and red marks by her eye'.

After seeing pictures which were released when Amber filed for the order against Johnny, Trinity went back and reviewed security footage from the building because she suspected the allegations were 'false' as the 'time didn't add up' and she had seen the actress 'several times' without marks on her face.

Security guard Alex Romero also admitted he had serious doubts about Amber's account because he had seen her a number of times during the week and saw nothing to suggest the actress had been 'punched by anyone' or had anything thrown at her.

He added: 'I saw the pictures and the next day I saw her. I was like come on, really. I couldn't believe. When I saw her in person, I didn't see anything.'

Two other employees, including the building's general manager Brandon Patterson - also testified they had seen the actress multiple times after the alleged assault and was seen 'without bruises, cuts, redness, swelling or any other injuries to her face'.

And the couple's neighbour, Isaac Baruch - who has been friends with the Black Mass actor for 37 years - told how he saw Amber the morning after the alleged fight and claims she shouted: 'He hit me! He threw a phone and hit me!'

While the actress 'stretched her neck' to show him her alleged injuries, he didn't see anything and though he saw her mark-free throughout the week, on May 27, there were visible marks on her.

Johnny's attorney has also provided 87 different pieces of recorded video, taken from different cameras before and after the alleged incident.

Amber's lawyer has branded the lawsuit 'frivolous' and insisted his client won't be silenced.

The latest news comes after Johnny accused Amber of starting a relationship with Elon Musk just a month after they married in 2015.

In the lawsuit obtained by People, the actor alleged that Heard would receive 'late night' visits from Musk while Depp was out of the country filming.

Depp also claims that the Tesla founder was allowed into the couple's Los Angeles home on the same night Heard 'presented her battered face to the public'.

Heard and Depp separated in May 2016.

According to People, a representative for Musk claims that 'Elon and Amber didn't start seeing each other until May 2016'.

'Their relationship didn't become romantic until sometime later,' the representative said.

Heard's attorney, Eric M. George, said in a statement to the magazine: 'This frivolous action is just the latest of Johnny Depp's repeated efforts to silence Amber Heard.

'She will not be silenced. Mr. Depp's actions prove he is unable to accept the truth of his ongoing abusive behavior.'

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