Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s legal battle has witness list including celebrities such as James Franco, Elon Musk and Ellen Barkin
- Heard, 35, has listed Franco, 43, and Musk, 50, as witnesses in the case
- Heard cited Depp’s accusations she cheated on him with both men
- Both Musk and Franco are slated to appear via video link
- Depp, 58, has called for actor Paul Bettany, 50, to testify on his behalf
- The trial is slated to begin April 11
The defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard slated to begin next month in Virginia includes a number of notable names slated to testify, including James Franco, Elon Musk and Ellen Barkin.
Heard, 35, has listed Franco, 43, and Musk, 50, as witnesses in the case, in connection with Depp’s accusations she cheated on him with both men during the time they were married, TMZ reported on Saturday, noting that both were slated to appear via video link.
Heard has also included actress Barkin, 67, on her list of witnesses, in addition to representatives for companies such as Disney, Warner Bros., the ACLU, WME and the Los Angeles Police Department, the outlet reported.
The latest: The defamation trial between Johnny Depp, 58, and Amber Heard, 35, slated to begin next month in Virginia includes a number of notable names slated to testify, including James Franco, 43, Elon Musk, 50, and Ellen Barkin, 67
Depp, 58, has called for actor Paul Bettany, 50, to testify in connection with text messages he had previously exchanged with Depp; the texts were previously read in Depp’s libel trial against The U.K. Sun that was dismissed in November of 2020.
Other links to Hollywood submitted as evidence in the case include messages Heard exchanged with Aquaman co-star Jason Momoa and director James Wan; director Zack Snyder and CAA head Bryan Lourd; and emails between Depp and J.K. Rowling, as well as Jack White, according to the outlet.
In the case, Depp and Heard are accusing one another of defamation, and Judge Penney S. Azcarate is expected to listen to all of the claims at the same time, leading to the extensive list of witnesses and evidence.
Depp initially sued Heard in March of 2019 over a 2018 opinion piece she penned for The Washington Post in which the actress said she had past suffered domestic violence, but didn’t mention the name of the actor in the article.
Heard has listed Franco and Musk as witnesses in the case, in connection with Depp’s accusations she cheated on him with both men during the time they were married
Heard filed a $100 million countersuit against Depp in September of 2020
Depp was seen in October in Serbia, promoting his animated show Puffins
‘Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator,’ Depp said in court docs.
Heard subsequently filed a $100 million countersuit against Depp in September of 2020.
Depp and Heard are both slated to appear in person to testify, according to Deadline.
A number of news articles, movie contracts, tax returns, security footage and photos are also on the exhibit list from Heard’s legal team, the outlet reported.
Depp, who’s also known for playing Edward Scissorhands as well as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, said last fall at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain that he’s been the victim of ‘cancel culture, or this instant rush to judgment’ in the entertainment industry since he was accused of domestic violence by Heard in 2016.
The trial is slated to begin April 11.