Depp lawyer accuses Heard of faking tears in ‘performance of her life’
The jury in the defamation trial opposing Johnny Depp and Amber Heard resumed deliberations on Tuesday after a three-day weekend.
Depp sued Heard for $50m for implying he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Although she didn’t name him, he claims her allegations impacted his ability to work. She is pursuing a $100m counterclaim.
In closing arguments on Friday, Depp’s lawyers asked jurors to “give him his life back” after it was “ruined” by Heard’s domestic abuse allegations. They alleged Heard would rather be in a fight than let the actor leave, called her claims an act of profound cruelty to true survivors, and said that she gave the performance of her life on the stand.
In their closing, Heard’s lawyers said ruling in favour of Depp would make jurors an “accomplice” to his abuse and to his “campaign of global humiliation”, and called out the actor for “laughing” and “snide comments” during closing arguments, adding that he engaged in “victim-blaming at its most disgusting”.
Depp’s team on Tuesday filed a failed motion to strike part of Heard’s closing which asked jurors to consider the “message” that ruling against her would send to other abuse victims.
1654054210Johnny Depp’s testimony on Amber Heard
Johnny Depp gave nearly four days of testimony in his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, seeking to convince the jury that he did not abuse her and was in fact a victim of her abuse.
Mr Depp first took the stand on Tuesday 19 April, then kept testifying every day up until the end of Thursday 21 April. Proceedings paused on Friday 22 April, then over the weekend, and picked up again on 25 April with continued testimony from Mr Depp. He then returned to the stand for his rebuttal on 25 May.
Here is what we learned during his time as a witness:
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 04:30
1654050610Johnny Depp asks jurors to ‘give him his life back’
Johnny Depp’s lawyers pleaded with jurors to “give him his life back” after it was “ruined” by Amber Heard’s allegations of domestic abuse, as closing arguments got under way on Friday (27 May).
Mr Depp’s attorney Camille Vasquez told the jury that the evidence had shown Ms Heard was the “abuser” and Mr Depp was the “abused” during their tumultuous relationship, saying that both Mr Depp’s “good name” and his “life” are at stake as they reach their verdict.
Rachel Sharp reports:
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 03:30
1654047010Amber Heard lawyer says ruling in favour of Johnny Depp would make jurors into ‘accomplice’
Amber Heard’s attorney told jurors that ruling in favour of Johnny Depp would make them an “accomplice” to his abuse and “campaign of global humiliation”, as the case neared a dramatic close on Friday (27 May).
Attorney Benjamin Rottenborn delivered closing statements to the court in Fairfax, Virginia, where he warned that Mr Depp’s argument that he was not abusive to Ms Heard sends a “message” to survivors of domestic abuse everywhere.
Rachel Sharp reports:
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 02:30
1654044310Pirates of the Caribbean boat driven past Depp v Heard courthouse
A car decorated as a ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean films drove past the courthouse where a jury was deliberating the verdict Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard on Tuesday (31 May).
Holly Patrick reports:
Pirates of the Caribbean boat driven past Depp v Heard courthouse as jury deliberatesA car decorated as a ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean films drove past the courthouse where a jury was deliberating the verdict Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard on Tuesday (31 May).The actor is suing his ex-wife for $50 million after she wrote an article in 2018 referring to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”Tuesday marked the jury’s first full day of deliberation. It is not known when they will reach a verdict.Click here to sign up to our newsletters.
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 01:45
1654041610Why the defamation trial is being held in Virginia
The explosive defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has unfolded well outside their normal Hollywood orbit – at a court in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Mr Depp’s suit against his ex-wife alleges that she defamed him in a December 2018 op-ed published in The Washington Post titled “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change”.
The trial is taking place in Fairfax because the online edition of The Post is published via servers in the county, allowing Mr Depp to sue her in that area.
Gustaf Kilander reports:
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 01:00
1654038910The bizarre parasocial fans of the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial
Throughout the past six weeks, the historic trial has attracted worldwide headlines, a frenzy of fans, and memorable viral moments. But what has caught people’s attention more than just the trial’s wild claims are the social media users who have taken the case into their own hands, writes Meredith Clark:
The bizarre parasocial fans of the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trialWithin hours of a makeup company posting about the trial on TikTok, a Johnny Depp fan turned up at the courthouse in Virginia to hand-deliver ‘evidence’ to Depp’s lawyers. Another posts videos online suggesting a secret relationship between Depp and his lawyer, Camille Vasquez
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 00:15
1654036210Updates from the courtroom
Jurors broke for lunch earlier on Tuesday 31 May.
According to the Law & Crime network, some movement was seen in the courtroom, but there was no major development over the first half of the day.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Jamie R. Abrams, a University of Louisville law professor, said of the jurors: “One challenge that they are likely facing is staying focused on the case at hand without allowing all of their own lived experiences and biases to lead them to a snap judgment that is not supported by the testimony.
“The jury instructions are very concrete in helping jurors do that focusing as a legal matter, but this is a real challenge on a human level.”
Clemence Michallon31 May 2022 23:30
1654033510How does the jury work?
A jury of seven people has been assembled for this case.
According to Court TV, the jurors include five men and two women, with two alternate jurors remaining on standby if one of the main pool is dismissed or needs to drop out.
Clemence Michallon31 May 2022 22:45
1654032015Why does Depp’s team want to strike part of Heard’s closing?Depp’s lawyers raised concern over an “inappropriate argument” in Heard’s closing statement in a filing in Fairfax County District Court on Tuesday as the jury deliberated for a second day in the couple’s defamation case.
They asked a judge to strike the argument from the record, instruct the jury to disregard it and to revise the Special Verdict Form.
The Independent’s Megan Sheets explains:
Megan Sheets31 May 2022 22:20
1654031410A trial by TikTok and the death knell for MeToo
With both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard resting their cases in the multi-million-dollar defamation trial, it now comes down to the jury to decide the verdict.
In a case where both former spouses have leveled serious allegations of domestic violence against one other and where tens of millions of dollars are at stake, social media has increasingly hijacked proceedings.
The online obsession spurs a troubling question: Does the verdict really matter?
Rachel Sharp reports:
Clemence Michallon31 May 2022 22:10
