You cannot kill me in a way that matters.

Focusing on the work of international human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, and using Robinson’s 2023 book Silenced Women as a framework, the documentary focuses on how defamation laws are weaponized against women who spoke about their experiences with sexual assault, harassment and gender-based violence. The documentary shows the legal mechanisms that have since been employed to punish those women, whether high profile or not, and ensure that they are unable to talk about their own experiences in public.

In Silenced, Heard says in a talking head style interview that she was willing to speak about her experiences dealing with defamation suits to shine a light on the legal retaliation that can be deployed against those who speak about gender-based violence and sexual abuse.  

Justin Baldoni's $400m (£295m) lawsuit against his former co-star Blake Lively has been formally ended by a judge, who said the actor and director had failed to meet a deadline to continue his claim.

The pair, who starred in the 2024 film It Ends with Us, have been locked in a bitter legal battle since Lively sued Baldoni last December accusing him of sexual harassment and waging a smear campaign against her.

In response, he filed a lawsuit against her as well as her husband Ryan Reynolds, their publicist and the New York Times, claiming civil extortion, defamation and invasion of privacy.

A court in southern France has increased by a year the jail term of the only man who challenged his conviction for raping Gisèle Pelicot.

The 72-year-old retired grandmother was drugged unconscious by her then-husband Dominique for over a decade and raped by dozens of men he recruited on the internet.

Husamettin Dogan, 44, had argued he was innocent, despite graphic video footage shown in court of him penetrating a motionless Gisèle Pelicot.

But the court of appeal in Nîmes rejected his argument and extended his original nine-year jail term to 10 years. He was convicted of aggravated rape last December, during a trial in which 50 other men were convicted.

Public prosecutor Dominique Sié had asked the court to impose a 12-year term on Dogan, who said he himself had been a victim, "trapped" by Dominique Pelicot. The prosecutor told the court Dogan had been "unwilling to take responsibility" for a "massive act of destruction of a woman" that had denied her humanity.

Sean "Diddy" Combs was sentenced to just over four years in prison on Friday after being convicted on prostitution-related charges involving his two ex-girlfriends.

Combs' attorneys argued for a 14-month sentence, saying their client is reformed after serving 13 months in a New York jail, but prosecutors wanted 11 years, citing his domestic violence history.

In addition to prosecutors detailing Combs' abuse, the court heard from several of Combs' children, some openly sobbing; defence attorneys who called him inspiring; and finally, an apologetic Combs himself.

A woman from New Zealand has filed a civil lawsuit against bestselling British author Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife, musician Amanda Palmer, accusing Gaiman of repeatedly sexually assaulting her while she was working as the couple’s babysitter and nanny.

Pavlovich’s lawsuit also accuses Gaiman of rape, coercion and human trafficking, and Palmer of “procuring and presenting” her to Gaiman “for such abuse”.

Neil Gaiman is seeking more than $500,000 from a woman who accused him of sexual assault.

Tortoise reported last year that Caroline Wallner claimed she was pressured to have sex with the author in return for letting her live at his property in upstate New York.

In 2021, Gaiman allegedly made Wallner sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in return for a $275,000 payment to help her cope with post-traumatic stress and depression following their sexual relationship.

Gaiman denies any wrongdoing; his position is that his relationship with Wallner was entirely consensual.

Gaiman has since filed an arbitration claim against Wallner, accusing her of breaching her NDA by speaking to the media about the alleged abuse.