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.
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Amber 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.
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 02:30
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Pirates 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).
Pirates of the Caribbean boat driven past Depp v Heard courthouse as jury deliberates
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).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
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Why 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.
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 01:00
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The 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 trial
Within 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 ‘eence’ to Depp’s lawyers. Another posts s online suggesting a secret relationship between Depp and his lawyer, Camille Vasquez
Clemence Michallon1 June 2022 00:15
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Updates 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
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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
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A 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?
Clemence Michallon31 May 2022 22:10
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What did Amber Heard’s Washington Post op-ed actually say?
The current court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard centres around an opinion piece Heard wrote in 2018 for The Washington Post, titled: “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”
Mr Depp has sued Ms Heard, his ex-wife, for alleged defamation over the article. While Mr Depp was not named, he claims her allegations the piece made it difficult for him to land movie roles.
Clemence Michallon31 May 2022 21:40
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Johnny Depp’s lawyers asks to strike part of Amber Heard’s team’s closing arguments
Johnny Depp’s legal team has asked the court to strike part of Amber Heard’s team’s closing arguments.
The objection was filed on Tuesday (31 May) as the jury kept deliberating.
It describes the statement in question as “inappropriate” and asks for the jury to be instructed to disregard it.
The remarks were made on Friday (27 May), when an attorney for Ms Heard told the jury their decision would send a message to “every victim of domestic abuse everywhere”.
The objection highlights further remarks in which Ms Heard’s attorney said that a ruling against Ms Heard would show that “as an abuse victim, you always have to do more.”
Mr Depp’s legal team is arguing that the remarks “improperly invite the jury to focus on on a larger social objective beyond the [case].”
The document also includes a motion asking for corrections to be made in the verdict form jurors have been instructed to use to present their decision.
A decision by the court has yet to be announced. The memorandum in support of the objection can be viewed here.
Clemence Michallon31 May 2022 21:31
