By Wonderwall.com Editors
7:29am PDT, Jun 8, 2022
Johnny Depp thanks fans on TikTok as legal experts weigh in on Amber Heard's appeal chances
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial ended June 1 with a $13.35 million win for Johnny, a meager $2 million in damages for Amber, and a statement from Amber's lawyer saying the actress plans to appeal. So what's next for the two? As Johnny told his 4.6 million followers on TikTok after joining the site on June 7, he intends to "move forward together" with the support of his fans. His comments sparked this response from Amber's rep, according to People: "As Johnny Depp says he's 'moving forward,' women's rights are moving backward. The verdict's message to victims of domestic violence is … be afraid to stand up and speak out." Whether that message will be rewritten if Amber appeals remains to be seen. On June 6, Time reported an appeal will likely take years and cost millions. Still, legal experts say appealing could be worth it for Amber, who may fare better before a panel of appellate judges than she did in live-streamed proceedings before a mostly male jury that was not sequestered amid rampant criticism of Amber on social media. It could also work in Amber's favor that a British court without a jury found Amber's claims Johnny abused her to be "substantially true" when he sued the publisher of The Sun in 2020 for calling him a "wife beater." (When Johnny lost the libel case on appeal, he'd already sued Amber for defamation over her 2018 op-ed about surviving domestic abuse. Amber never named Johnny in the piece.) Mary Anne Franks, a professor at University of Miami School of Law who specializes in civil rights, tells Time the live-streamed trial was "a particularly unusual decision given that the case involved allegations of sexual abuse and domestic violence." She added that not sequestering the jury resulted in "a trial by social media." Ultimately, says Washington, D.C. family law attorney Rebekah Sullivan, "Anyone appealing has an uphill battle."
Keep reading for the latest on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's winery war …
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Brad Pitt accuses Angelina Jolie of trying to 'harm' Miraval wine company's reputation
Brad Pitt has accused his ex, Angelina Jolie, of intentionally damaging his business' finances and reputation by selling her share in the Miraval wine company they launched together to a rival with "poisonous intentions." In legal documents filed on June 3, Brad says Angelina — who was OK'd to sell her stake in the business in September 2021 — is now selling the share to Tenute del Mondo. Owned by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, "who controls the Stoli Group," Tenuto del Mondo is "bent on taking control of Miraval," Brad's lawyers argue in documents excerpted by the Daily Mail. Angelina "pursued and then consummated the purported sale in secret, purposely keeping [Brad] in the dark, and knowingly violating [his] contractual rights," Brad's team says. Angelina and Brad have been fighting over Chateau Miraval for years in the wake of their 2016 split. The two bought the $164 million French winery and estate together in 2008 and later got married there. According to Brad, they agreed to give one another first right of refusal on any potential sales of their respective shares. Brad is reportedly pursuing a majority stake in the business, and his lawyers argue in the new filing that he's responsible for turning Miraval into "a multimillion-dollar global business and one of the world's most highly regarded producers of rosé wine," while Angelina contributed "nothing to Miraval's success." Pitt's lawyers go on to assert Yuri Shefler, the Russian billionaire who controls Tenuto del Mondo, is now after "confidential and proprietary information for the benefit of his competing enterprise" as part of a hostile takeover of Miraval. Finally, Brad's team claims the oligarch's "cutthroat business tactics and dubious professional associations" are jeopardizing "the reputation of the brand Pitt so carefully built." The two also remain locked in a custody battle over the five children they share who are still under 18.
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Andy Cohen says he might give his children his remaining frozen embryos
Now that he's happily raising two kids who were born via surrogate, Andy Cohen says he might pass on the remaining embryos to his children some day. On the June 6 edition of SiriusXM's "Jeff Lewis Live," the Bravo exec was asked about plans for any other embryos he may have frozen. "I have a few. I can't remember. I think I have three left?" Andy told the host. "You know what I'm thinking — this is crazy — but if either of them cannot have kids, maybe in 20 years they'll defrost their sibling and raise them," he added. "Is that a weird thought?" Today.com reports it's a perfectly valid idea, actually, as do the folks at the National Embryo Donation Center, which coordinates embryo donation for those who may be finished having kids. Andy, 54, welcomed his first child, Benjamin, in 2019. Andy's daughter Lucy — a "biological sibling" to her big brother, Andy told Jeff — was born in April 2022.
RELATED: See which other stars have used surrogates
Lori Harvey scrubs Michael B. Jordan from her Instagram after split
Lori Harvey has reportedly scrubbed her Instagram of all references to Michael B. Jordan in the wake of their recent split. The 25-year-old model, whose adoptive father is talk show host Steve Harvey, seems to have both unfollowed Michael, 35, and taken down all photos of the "Black Panther" star from her account. Though he's unfollowed Lori, Michael appears to still have a few photos of her in his feed, including one from February that he captioned, "I love her 🤍." According to a People source, the stars "are both completely heartbroken" about the split and "still love each other" after having dated for more than a year. "Michael matured a lot over the course of their relationship and was ready to commit for the long term," the source said. Another insider, however, told the outlet Lori "wasn't ready to commit" and is "very focused on her career" right now. "She still wants to have fun and be free," the second source explained. Expressing his "support" for his daughter on his June 6 show, Steve Harvey pointed out that "it's hard to be young and in the limelight and have a successful relationship."
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Justin Bieber cancels Toronto concerts hours before showtime: 'Doctors' orders'
Justin Bieber's hometown fans in Toronto won't see him perform, as scheduled, this week. On June 7, the singer announced an undisclosed illness is forcing him to reschedule the "next few shows" on his Justice World Tour. "Can't believe I'm saying this, I've done everything to get better but my sickness is getting worse," Justin shared on his Instagram Story just hours before he was due to perform the first of two concerts at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena. "My heart breaks that I will have to postpone these next few shows (doctors orders). To all my people I love you all so much and I'm gonna rest and get better!" A statement from the venue posted to Twitter later in the day noted the postponement is due to "a non-COVID related illness." The singer canceled 14 shows due to "depression, anxiety and exhaustion" at the last minute in 2017, as some fans on Twitter seem to recall. "Justin Bieber just postponed his Toronto shows tonight and tomorrow… this is the THIRD time he's cancelled/postponed a show I was supposed to go to," one user wrote.
Kelly Clarkson says 'female friendships' got her through Brandon Blackstock divorce
With her divorce from Brandon Blackstock behind her, Kelly Clarkson credits two key parts of her life with getting her through the split. During a chat with The Chicks' Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire on Kelly's June 6 show, the singer turned daytime TV star reflected on finding the "strength" to survive her divorce, which was finalized in March 2022 after an often contentious court battle. "Female friendships — I think that's what really helped me," Kelly told the band, all of whom have also been divorced, according to E! News. "Music can be also therapeutic," she added. Kelly filed for divorce in June 2020. She and Brandon share two kids, River, 7, and Remington, 6.
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Gwyneth Paltrow is the latest celeb to come out in support of billionaire Los Angeles mayoral candidate, Rick Caruso. On her Instagram Stories on June 7, Gwyneth shared a photo of herself in black glasses and a messy 'do that she captioned: "My crazy hair and I voted for @rickcarusola for Los Angeles mayor today! We need Rick desperately to get our streets cleaned up and functioning. Rick is a dear friend, a good man and a great business man who has always been dedicated to LA and can get things done." Her push for the Republican-turned Democrat comes after Elon Musk voiced support for Rick earlier this week, calling him "awesome" and telling followers, "executive competence is super underrated in politics." Kim Kardashian has also said she was "really impressed by" him, sharing on social media last week that she thinks "he can offer a better path to a better life for people that are homeless in California and in Los Angeles." Snoop Dogg In addition to his careers in real estate development and law, Rick, 63, was elected to head the Los Angeles Police Board of Police Commissioners in 2001. In 1985, he became a commissioner on the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He's expected to end up in a run-off election in November against Democratic Rep. Karen Bass, according to the Daily Mail. In May, the Los Angeles Times reported Rick has Snoop Dogg's support, as well.
Al Roker reveals how he recently lost 45 pounds in 'several months'
On the June 6 edition of the "Today" show, Al Roker revealed his secret to losing "about 45 pounds" in "several months" with a plan he said has also benefited his mental health. After NBC News correspondent Morgan Radford's report on new weight loss research, Al, 67, opened up about his latest path to maintaining a healthy weight. "Exercise, and not extreme exercise. We're doing that 30-day walking challenge that improves, I think, your mental health," Al said. "Combined with a low-carb diet, I've lost about 45 pounds in the last several months. I do about 100 grams of carbs a day and I walk." Hoda Kotb then chimed in to point out Al also does a bit of weight training. In March, the show's weatherman celebrated the 20-year anniversary of his gastric bypass surgery, telling social media fans and "Today" viewers he weighed 340 pounds before having the procedure.
