Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: Trial essentials

It is probably one of the dirtiest Wars of the Roses in recent years – and it is being fought in public, followed by millions of viewers every day. For weeks, the two actors and ex-husbands Johnny Depp (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) and Amber Heard (“Aquaman”) have been fighting in court in a story that is bursting with drug excesses and intrigues. It’s about defamation, domestic violence, a variety of curious details and ultimately also about the good reputation of the two. The most important questions and answers about the lawsuit of the former Hollywood couple:

The trial stems from a lawsuit filed by Depp in March 2019 against his ex-wife. The reason for this is a guest article by Heard in the “Washington Post”, which she published in 2018. In it, she claimed to have been a victim of domestic violence. Her ex-husband was not mentioned by name in the post. However, according to Depp, the article ruined his career, damaged his reputation and cost him a lot of money as a result. The actor is seeking around $50 million in damages for defamation.

Heard, in turn, sees her reputation damaged by Depp’s allegations and has filed a counterclaim against her ex-husband for defamation, among other things. In it, she is demanding around $100 million in damages.

Both lawsuits are currently being tried by a grand jury in Fairfax, Virginia. According to media reports, the process, which began on April 12, will take at least six weeks.

The team around Depp has now completed its evidence. At the beginning of May, after several days of the trial, the last of around two dozen Depp witnesses testified. The ex-couple’s former marriage counselor testified in the first week of the trial. According to the therapist, she noticed abusive behavior from both sides. Heard provoked Depp with his behavior and started quarrels. In addition, the consultant described that Heard had bruises on his face during a visit in December 2015.

The actor himself had also taken the witness stand. The 58-year-old declared under oath that he had never hit Heard. In fact, he has never hit a woman. He accuses his 36-year-old ex-wife of making false statements in her op-ed for the Washington Post on domestic violence. Rather, the violence in the relationship came from Heard. The actress often verbally and physically attacked him. Depp said he wanted to clear his name for himself and his children and defend himself against the “terrible” allegations. He was “obsessed” with bringing the truth to light.

Since May 3rd, the evidence of the team around Heard has been running. The actress’ lawyers had previously asked for the case to be dropped as unfounded. Depp failed to prove that Heard slandered him with the post in the Washington Post. The court did not comply with this request. Judge Penney Azcarate said that sufficient evidence had been presented in the ongoing process to justify the continuation of the proceedings. Ultimately, the jury would have to decide the evidence.

Heard himself took the stand on the first day. There she described in tears how Depp hit her for the first time. According to the actress, Depp is said to have sexually abused her and repeatedly threatened to kill her during an argument. A clinical and forensic psychologist hired by Heard’s team said she used four separate tests to reliably diagnose the actress with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her relationship with Depp.

The trial was then adjourned until May 16. It’s supposed to last for weeks. Observers assume that Heard could be questioned for several more days, including cross-examination with Depp’s lawyers.

The statements made so far in the process and the details brought to light reveal the sad destructive power of a narcissistic relationship. There were also some bizarre details that came up.

On the witness stand, Depp addressed his drug and alcohol use. So he said: “The only person I have abused in my life is myself.” Heard accused him of preventing him from kicking his addiction. The actress withheld important medication from him. Finally, due to withdrawal symptoms, he was in tears and curled up on the floor, begging Heard for the medication. “That was the low point of my life,” says Depp.

A severed fingertip from Depp was also an issue in the process. On the witness stand, a nurse reported an altercation after which she found the house completely devastated. You had to look for a severed fingertip of Depp. This was finally found on the kitchen floor and later sewn on again in the hospital. Depp claimed in court that Heard threw a vodka bottle at him, and his fingertip was severed by shards of glass.

Alleged text messages that Depp is said to have sent to his friends and that Heard’s lawyer submitted to the court also caused a stir. Among other things, it reads: “Let’s drown them before we burn them!!! I’ll fuck her burned corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.” Depp explained that he was ashamed of this news today. He was just “joking around” with his friends. That was his “disrespectful and sarcastic humor”.

The strangest thing seems to be Depp’s description of an alleged humiliation of his ex-wife. Because he was late for Heard’s 30th birthday, either the actress or one of her friends left feces on the side of his bed. Heard, on the other hand, claims it was the shared dogs that left the poop on the bed.

The reason why the proceedings are so well-publicized is that the two parties not only have to convince the jury of their point of view, but the whole world. The entire process will be broadcast live on Court TV, which is broadcast to most American homes. Channel boss Ethan Nelson said ahead of the trial: “Court cases as high profile as this one often generate a lot of noise and it can be difficult for viewers to get a clear picture of the facts, but that’s where we come in Game.”

Viewers outside the USA can also get their fill of the dismantling of this marriage. That’s how he transmits YouTube channel Law and Crime the process as well.

It’s not the first time Depp and Heard have faced each other in court. This was already the case in London in 2020. At the time, Depp sued the British tabloid The Sun over an article alleging he had physically abused Heard. The process was followed by a week-long war of roses with fierce allegations, which also play a role in the current process. Depp ultimately suffered defeat in court. The lawsuit against the “Sun” was dismissed. In their verdict at the time, the judges found that the majority of the allegations listed in the newspaper turned out to be true.

Depp and Heard, who is 23 years younger, met in 2009 while filming the joint film “The Rum Diary”. Their relationship began in 2012 when the film hit theaters. The wedding followed three years later in February 2015. But the marriage was short-lived. In May 2016, it was announced that Heard had filed for divorce. A public mud fight ensued. The divorce has been official since January 2017 after Depp paid $7 million.

While Depp became rather quiet privately after the separation, Heard was briefly in a relationship with Tesla boss Elon Musk in 2017. In April of last year, Heard gave birth to a daughter who was born to a surrogate mother.

In online forums and social networks, the sympathies are currently clearly on Depp’s side. However, the public mudslinging in recent years has clearly damaged his career. In court, Depp’s lawyer explained that the actor’s fees had fallen massively since 2016. Since 2020 he has not been able to accommodate his client in a film. As a result of the “Sun” trial, Depp also lost his well-known roles as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean 6” and as Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spin-off “Fantastic Beasts 3”.

Amber Heard’s career is also likely to be damaged. Over three million fans online support a petition calling for Heard to be kicked out of Aquaman 2. The film is slated to hit theaters next year.

With agency material.