In the closing arguments, defense attorneys for both sides tried again on Friday in the Fairfax County Court in Virginia with urgent appeals to get the seven members of the jury on their side. Depp’s defense accused Heard of lying and false accusations, Heard’s defense called for Depp to take responsibility.
“He blamed everyone in the world: his agent, his manager, his attorney, Amber, his friends,” said Heard’s defense attorney Elaine Bredehoft at the trial, which was broadcast live as always, about Depp. “He has never taken responsibility for anything in his life. But we urge you to force him to take responsibility.”
Closing arguments in the Depp-Heard trial
The defamation trial between Hollywood star Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard has entered its final phase with the closing arguments of the lawyers on both sides.
Closing arguments with serious allegations
There is “overwhelming evidence of abuse,” said Heard’s defense attorney Benjamin Rottenborn. “Mr. Depp just can’t prove he didn’t abuse Amber at least once.” A verdict against Heard is also a devastating message for abuse victims around the world, Rottenborn said – “that no matter what you do as an abuse victim, you still do have to do more”.
Depp’s defense strictly rejected the allegations. Depp is not the perpetrator, but the victim in this case. Heard told the court exactly what she felt the jury needed to hear in order to convict Depp of an “abuser and rapist,” Depp’s defense attorney Camille Vasquez said. “She wants you to believe that she was abused countless times during their relationship.”
But there is no evidence of that, Vasquez said. “What we have is a mountain of unproven allegations that are wild, exaggerated and unbelievable.” Vasquez urged the jury to side with Depp. “This is about a man’s good name. What’s more, it’s about this man’s life, the life he lost when he was accused of a terrible crime.”
Hundreds of onlookers in front of the court
For six weeks, the same scenes played out in front of the court: Hundreds of fans lined the street, loud cheers broke out when Depp drove up to the court. Beaming, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star waved to his followers from the dark SUV. On the other hand, significantly fewer fans cheered on the “Aquaman” actress Heard on her way to court.
The mud fight in front of the jury was broadcast by court cameras. Curious onlookers queue up at night to get one of the hundred coveted seats in the courtroom. In the courtroom, the ex-husbands sat just a few feet apart.
word agains word
On Thursday, Heard said the trial brought her countless mean things. “I’m harassed, humiliated and threatened every single day just walking into this courtroom.” Thousands since this process began. People make fun of my statements that I was abused.”
Depp once told her that if she left him, he would make sure she thought of him every day of her life, Heard said. “Johnny has taken enough of my voice and the right to tell my story. I have the right to tell what happened.”
Depp had once again defended himself against Heard’s allegations on Wednesday. It was “insane” to listen to them. During questioning by his legal team, the actor described the allegations as “terrible,” “ridiculous,” “incredibly brutal,” “cruel,” “humiliating,” and “completely untrue.” He “never” used physical violence, Depp assured.
At the beginning of his statement in April, Depp admitted that there had often been arguments in their relationship. “But I never got to the point of hitting Miss Heard in any way, nor have I ever hit a woman in my life,” he said under oath. Rather, the actress had a “need for violence” and attacked him.
Severed fingertip and faeces in bed
Heard was also harsh in the course of the trial with Depp. Partly in tears, she described alleged incidents in which she was the victim of his outbursts of anger and attacks. According to her, Depp, especially when intoxicated, was often violent. The man she loved had become a “monster” due to his addiction.
The actress described verbal attacks in which Depp allegedly threatened to kill her. He called her a “whore” and accused her of cheating on him for no reason. There was also sexual violence. Heard’s lawyers showed photos of the actress, such as a bruise on her upper arm.
The spectators in court were spared nothing. The lawyers on both sides brought out the heavy artillery: shocking cell phone videos with the worst insults, descriptions of alcohol and drug excesses, it was about a severed fingertip, sexual abuse with a bottle and faeces in bed.
Moss and Barkin on the stand
Dozens of witnesses spoke at the trial, including actors’ assistants, psychologists, police officers, financial advisors and film experts. Celebrities also testified. The appearance of the supermodel Kate Moss, an ex-girlfriend of Depp, lasted only a few minutes on Wednesday. The 48-year-old British woman, connected to the court via video from England, defended Depp. “He never pushed me, kicked me, or threw me down a flight of stairs,” Moss said. In doing so, she countered a statement by Heard that had addressed an alleged attack by Depp on Moss.
Actress Ellen Barkin, who was friends with Depp in 1994, had sided with Heard. In a recorded video statement, she described the actor’s outbursts of anger, controlling behavior and frequent drug use. The defense attorneys’ long list of witnesses also included Tesla boss Elon Musk, an ex-boyfriend of Heard, and fellow actor James Franco – but neither of them testified in the end.
Depp and Heard met while filming The Rum Diary in 2009. Their romance began in 2011 while on a promotional tour for the film, following Depp’s split from his longtime partner, French actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children. Depp and Heard married in 2015, but after just 15 months of marriage, the actress filed for divorce following allegations of domestic violence.
$100 million counterclaim
In his civil lawsuit, Depp alleges that the actress made false statements in a 2018 op-ed by the Washington Post about domestic violence. It damaged his reputation and his career. He is suing for around 50 million dollars (a good 46 million euros) in damages for defamation. Heard counterclaims $100 million. She claims that Depp’s ex-lawyer Adam Waldman damaged her reputation with a smear campaign.
Two years ago, Depp suffered a defeat in London with a lawsuit against the tabloid “Sun”. It was about an article alleging that Depp physically abused Heard as a wife beater. After a trial with fierce allegations, the High Court ultimately dismissed the lawsuit. The majority of the allegations mentioned in the newspaper turned out to be true, the judges stated in their verdict.
“Obsessed” with the truth
He was “obsessed” with uncovering the truth and clearing his name, Depp said at the start of the ongoing US trial. This process was not easy for anyone, the actor reflected on the witness stand on Wednesday. “But no matter what happens, I came here and I told the truth.”
Now the seven jurors have the last word. A verdict could come at any time. However, the committee only meets on weekdays. Due to a holiday on Monday, further consultations next week will not be until Tuesday.