Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard: What You Need to Know

The trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is over. The jury is expected to continue deliberating on its verdict on Tuesday.

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, 36, is a model and actress who starred in 2018’s Aquaman. She was married to Depp, 58, from 2015 to 2016. The pair divorced in August 2016.

In December 2018, Heard 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 didn’t 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.” Depp filed his current defamation suit in 2019, the year after she wrote the op-ed.

What’s happened in the trial so far?

Heard just finished taking the stand this week. When asked about the first time Depp allegedly hit her, she described an instance when she’d asked Depp about what one of his tattoos said, and he’d replied “wino.” “I just laughed because I thought he was joking, and he slapped me across the face,” she said. Heard also testified that Depp sexually assaulted her shortly after they were married.

During his testimony earlier in the trial, Depp said that Depp he never struck Heard but that she displayed violence during their relationship. Depp alleged she threw a vodka bottle at his hand during an argument, cutting off a part of his middle finger. 

When is a decision expected?

Both teams delivered their closing arguments on May 27. They jury is expected to continue its deliberations this coming Tuesday.