On April 11, a highly publicized trial involving actors Johnny Depp, 58, and Amber Heard, 36, started in Fairfax, Virginia. Since then, lawyers for Depp and Heard have presented opening statements and Depp has taken the stand. The trial is expected to continue until late May.
Depp, widely known for his role in the Pirates of Caribbean franchise, is suing Heard, his ex-wife, for defamation over an opinion piece she wrote for The Washington Post and is seeking $50 million. Heard is also countersuing for $100 million.
Here’s what else you should know about the trial.
Why is Johnny Depp suing Amber Heard?
Heard is a model and actress who starred in 2018’s Aquaman. In December of 2018, she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post titled, “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.” She said in the article that she had become “a public figure representing domestic abuse,” but did not mention Depp’s name.
Depp alleges Heard defamed him in the op-ed. During opening statements, Depp lawyer Benjamin Chew said Heard’s article clearly refers to Depp, and that Heard’s “false allegations had a significant impact on Mr. Depp’s family and his ability to work in the profession he loved.”
Benjamin Rottenborn, a lawyer for Heard, said that the First Amendment protects what she wrote. “The article isn’t about Johnny Depp,” Rottenborn said. “The article is about the social change for which she is advocating and that the First Amendment protects.”
Rottenborn also said evidence in the trial will show that Heard did suffer domestic abuse at the hands of Depp, and it was physical, emotional, verbal and psychological.
Depp is faced with proving Heard knowingly made false claims. Heard has filed a countersuit against Depp, which will be decided as part of the trial. She’s claiming Depp defamed her when his former lawyer referred to her allegations of abuse as a hoax.
Depp lost a defamation case that involved Heard in 2020. He had sued British tabloid The Sun over a headline calling him a “wife beater.”
Heard and Depp’s marriage lasted from 2015 to 2016. He filed his current defamation suit in 2019, the year after she wrote the op-ed.
What has happened in the trial so far?
Depp testified in the trial and was cross-examined by Heard’s legal team. During his time on the stand, Depp said that he never struck Heard, but that she displayed violence during their relationship. He alleged she threw a vodka bottle at Depp’s hand during an argument, which cut off a part of his middle finger.
During cross examination, Heard’s team presented text messages sent by Depp. In one graphic text exchange between Depp and actor Paul Bettany, Depp wrote: “Let’s drown her before we burn her.” In court, Depp said the messages were a joke that referred to a Monty Python sketch about burning and drowning witches.
Heard will also testify in the trial. Elon Musk and James Franco are listed as potential witnesses that might take the stand for Heard, and Bettany is listed for Depp.