On Friday, a jury began deciding the defamation case between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, which has been going on for six weeks and has been filled with harsh accusations of domestic abuse from both sides.
After lawyers for both sides made closing arguments, the seven-person jury retired to consider a judgment in the high-profile case hearing in Fairfax, Virginia, near the US capital.
Heard’s attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, stated that Depp’s defamation suit against her and a campaign of “global humiliation” have made her life “absolute hell.”
“It’s ruined her life.” This has completely engulfed her. Bredehoft informed the jury that she was receiving death threats.
While the 58-year-old “Pirates of the Caribbean” star may not be a “saint” and has struggled with drugs and alcohol, “he is not a violent abuser,” according to Benjamin Chew, one of Depp’s lawyers.
Chew stated, “He did not and does not deserve to have his life and legacy destroyed by a terrible lie.” “Miss Heard’s portrayal of herself as a courageous survivor, an innocent survivor, and Mr. Depp as a terrible abuser is completely wrong.
“We beg you, we urge you,” he told the jurors, “to restore his name, his character, and his career.”
Any damage to Depp’s career, according to Bredehoft, was self-inflicted.
She addressed the jurors, “Hold this man accountable.” In his entire life, he has never accepted responsibility for anything.
“He’s blamed everyone in the world, including his agent, manager, lawyer, Amber, and pals.”
Meanwhile, Depp’s lawyer, Chew, alluded to the # MeToo movement but clarified that “it’s for actual sufferers of abuse, not Miss Heard.”
“No one has come out of the woodwork to say, ‘I’m in the same boat.'” “This is the one and only’me too’ situation in which there isn’t a single’me too.'”
Another of Depp’s lawyers, Camille Vasquez, told the jury that the evidence “showed that Miss Heard is the abuser.”
“She was a violent, abusive, and hateful person,” Vasquez claimed.
Depp sued Heard in December 2018 after she penned an op-ed for The Washington Post in which she identified herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Heard, who is from Texas, says that Depp sued her for saying that he was a domestic abuser. Heard says that Depp wants $50 million in damages.
Heard, who is 36 years old, sued him back for $100 million, saying that he beat her up and hurt her a lot.
During the trial, many people testified, including bodyguards, Hollywood executives, agents, experts in the entertainment business, doctors, friends, and family.
Hundreds of fans of the “Pirates” actor attended the broadcast trial, which was supported by a social media campaign called #JusticeForJohnnyDepp.Depp and Heard each spent days on the witness stand throughout the televised trial.
The jury was shown pictures of injuries Heard was said to have gotten during their rough relationship, as well as audio and video recordings of their heated, profanity-filled fights.
In March 2015, Depp hurt his finger while filming a “Pirates of the Caribbean” scene in Australia. Doctors spent hours giving evidence about the injury.
When Heard threw a vodka bottle at Depp, he claimed the tip of a finger was severed. Heard stated that she had no idea how the injury happened.
Both agreed that Depp used the bloodied digit to scrawl inscriptions on walls, lampshades, and mirrors.
Heard said that when Depp was drunk or high, he turned into a “monster” who hurt her physically and sexually, and that he didn’t listen when she told him to stop.
Depp said that Heard was the one who was frequently violent, and that listening to “outlandish” allegations of domestic abuse leveled against him was “brutal.”
“No one is perfect, not even me,” he said, “but I’ve never done anything sexually abusive or violent in my whole life.”
In May 2016, Heard, who was married to Depp from 2015 until 2017, got a restraining order against him, citing domestic violence.
In a libel suit filed in London, Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, sued the British tabloid The Sun for branding him a “wife-beater.” In November 2020, he was found guilty in that case.
Both sides have alleged that their Hollywood careers have been harmed.
Heard’s legal team produced an entertainment industry expert who believed Heard had lost $45–50 million in film and television roles and endorsements.
According to a source close to Depp’s camp, the actor has lost millions as a result of the allegations, including a potential $22.5 million paycheck for the sixth film of “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
