10 Key Highlights From Amber Heard-Johnny Depp Defamation Trial

Amber Heard-Johnny Depp defamation trial finally saw an end on May 27, 2022. With lawyers of both parties delivering their closing arguments, the jury has now taken some time for deliberation. While the jury deliberates, let us look at all that's unfolded in this trial.

Latest update: The Jury took time to deliberate and gave a unanimous verdict in favour of Johnny Depp. The court ruled that Amber Heard defamed Johnny Depp by writing the op-ed in the Washington Post where she called herself a survivor of domestic abuse.

Johnny Depp will be given 15 million dollars by Amber Heard. The jury also partially favoured Amber Heard which is why will be getting two million dollars. After the verdict was out, Johnny Depp's fans celebrated the actor's victory and his lawyer Camille Vasquez was again the popular subject of social media posts where she was praised.

The Heard-Depp Defamation Trial has been one of the most trending news from court sessions being televised to the numerous memes on social media, targeting Amber Heard and in support of Johnny Depp. It seems like the public court has decided who is guilty even before the verdict has been passed. This lawsuit filed by Depp against Amber Heard made private life a public affair, heavily covered by the press, giving the audience every little update on what's going on in the courtroom.

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp met in 2009, on the film sets of 'The Rum Diaries'. They were in a relationship since 2012 and married for 2 years from 2014-to 2016. However, the marriage ended in divorce, with Heard later filing for a restraining order as she claimed that Depp was abusive towards her. In 2018, Heard also wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, describing her experiences with domestic abuse. Even though Depp was not mentioned by name, it proved detrimental to his life and name, as the world called him a 'wife-beater', and he suffered major losses in relationships, with big franchises, due to the allegations. He sued her for alleged defamation which led to this highly televised controversial lawsuit.

Amber Heard Johnny Depp defamation trial- 10 Key Points To Know

1. The defamation trial against Amber Heard, sued by Johnny Depp for $50 million in damages, denying her claims of him ever being physically violent, while heard is counter-suing him for $100 million. It began on April 11 in Fairfax, Virginia. This defamation trial follows a libel trial that happened in the UK in 2020. The libel trial was against The Sun’s executive editor and publisher who called Depp a 'wife beater', however, the judge sided with the publisher.

2. In the opening statements, attorney J. Benjamin Rottenborn, lawyer of the defendant Heard,  reads Heard's op-ed to the jury and mentions that she exercised her right to free speech. The plaintiff attorneys Chew and Vasquez promised the jury that they would provide enough evidence in favor of their client Johnny Depp and prove to the jury that he is indeed the victim and that Heard is the perpetrator, and deserves to be found guilty. They only implored the Jury to give Johnny Depp his life back and clear his name, post the trial.

3. Johnny Depp took the stand On April 19 and gives his testimony over the course of four days. He denies ever being physically or sexually violent towards Heard, as she claimed in her allegations. The Attorneys for Depp bring out all the evidence of Heard's alleged abuse, in an attempt to prove his innocence and Heard's lawyers focus on Depp's past drug and alcohol use, use of bad language in text messages and recordings, in their cross examination. Heard's lawyers argued in court that Depp was abusive to her.

4. Johhny Depp takes responsibility for his long struggle with alcohol and drugs while refusing to accept that he had ever been violent, laying out pieces of evidence to prove the same. Depp testifies that Heard would instigate arguments that would end in physical violence by Heard. When asked what he had lost due to Heard's allegations, Depp says, "Nothing less than everything.”

5. Heard fires her crisis public relations firm Precision Strategies, taking on a new team, led by David Shane. It is reported that she does so as she had been receiving negative coverage in the media following Depp's testimony, affecting her name and reputation. Viral mockery and hate on social media against Heard begin. Netizens also make a mockery of Heard's legal team, disapproving of their way of handling the trial, and Depp's cross-examination.
6. Amber Heard takes the stand on May 4, 2022. She lays out her side of the story. She testifies that she was the one abused in the relationship. She accuses Johhny of continually hitting and abusing her throughout the relationship, controlling what she wears, and her projects, and being jealous of her co-stars namely James Franco. She accused him of rape, alleging that he sexually assaulted her with a bottle. She describes Depp as an extremely abusive husband who made her life living hell.
7. Evidence in the form of text messages and pictures of Johhny Depp's drug abuse is laid out. In the course of cross-examination, Johnny Depp's team proves difficult on Heard, grilling Amber Heard, in an attempt to prove Depp's innocence. This causes major social media attention and results in people praising the lawyer.
8. Several people including police officers, hotel owners, doctors, Johnny's ex Kate moss, his friends, and family testify in favor of Johnny Depp. Amber's testimony is held up by a couple of people, including her sister. On May 24, Heard's team rests its case. Depp's team implores the circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate to dismiss the countersuit, which emerges unsuccessful.
9. Depp and Heard take the stand one last time before closing arguments. Johnny Depp states “It’s insane to hear heinous accusations of violence, sexual violence, that she’s attributed to me, that she’s accused me of. I don’t think anyone enjoys having to split themselves openly and tell the truth, but there are times when one simply has to because it’s gotten out of control. Horrible. Ridiculous. Humiliating. Ludicrous. Painful. Savage. Unimaginably brutal. Cruel. Um, and all false. All false.” Heard claims- “Protecting the secret that I did, for as long as I did, has taken enough of my voice, Johnny has taken enough of my voice and the right to tell my story. I have the right to say what happened ... I have the right as an American to talk about what happened to me. To own my story and my truth.”
10. In their closing statements on May 27th, 2020, imploring the jury to do the same as they mentioned in their opening statements, Camille Vasquez says-"Today, on May 27, 2022, exactly six years later we ask you to give Mr. Depp his life back by telling the world that Mr. Depp is not the abuser Ms. Heard said he is and hold Ms. Heard accountable for her lies. What is at stake in this trial is a man's good name. Even more, what is at stake at this trial is a man's life, the life that he lost when he was accused of a heinous crime." Heard's lawyers, implore Jury to look believe Amber's allegations stating-  "The facts are absolutely overwhelming of abuse," he added. "One time, that's all you have to remember. Depp simply cannot prove to you that he never once abused Amber...A ruling against Amber here sends a message that no matter what you do as an abuse victim, you always have to do more."

The jury has taken the time to deliberate on the same and no verdict has been reached in the case yet. Whatever the verdict may be, the fact remains true that nobody deserves the hate on social media or viral mockery of a very serious case is not acceptable. The verdict on the case is awaited.

Suggested Reading: Shocker: Foetus Found Inside Newborn Baby’s Stomach In Bihar