The defamation suit filed by actor Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard is still pending and will most likely take weeks to resolve. But how did the case come about? The romance between Depp and Heard dates back more than a decade.
The pair divorced in 2016 but have been fighting in court over an op-ed Heard published for The Washington Post in 2018, in which she detailed surviving domestic violence without naming Depp.
Johnny Depp seeks $50 million in damages and denies ever assaulting Heard physically. Heard is suing for $100 million, claiming that she was only ever aggressive with Depp in self-defense or to protect her younger sister.
As the case progresses, social media has gone crazy, eating sound bits, evidence, and courtroom footage. Johnny Depp testified for four days, and several celebrities, including James Franco and Paul Bettany, are named in court records as prospective witnesses who might be summoned to testify.
The trial, which will take place in Fairfax County, Virginia, is scheduled to last several weeks. The following is a timeline of Depp and Heard's relationship up until the court case, as per NBC News.
Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Relationship Story
Johnny Depp and his longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children, Lily-Rose and John Christopher, split up in 2012. In 2014, Heard and Depp began dating and subsequently became engaged.
In a private ceremony, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp marry. The pair has been chastised for illegally bringing their canines, Pistol and Boo, into Australia. Later, the duo released a solemn apology video.
Amber Heard is officially charged with two charges of unlawfully bringing Pistol and Boo into Australia, as well as one count of falsifying documents. After 15 months of marriage, Heard filed for divorce. She secured a temporary restraining order against Johnny Depp, alleging that he mistreated her while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Johnny Depp rejected the allegations, and in August 2016, an out-of-court settlement of $7 million was struck. Heard gave the money to a charity.
In December 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post about the treatment of girls who are victims of domestic violence. She didn't specifically name Depp. Depp sued Heard for $50 million for defamation over her Washington Post article, alleging it lowered his earning potential as a performer.
Amber Heard's attempt to get the case dismissed was unsuccessful. Her countersuit for $100 million is still pending. Depp sued the author of The Sun for libel in the United Kingdom in 2020, following a 2018 piece that alleged he was aggressive against Heard.
Depp has rejected all allegations of sexual misconduct. In that lawsuit, Heard testified, stating that Depp threatened to murder her on several occasions. The accusations made in the publication were found to be significantly accurate by a UK court, and Depp was refused an enchantment. The trial for Depp's defamation complaint against Heard began on April 12 in Virginia.
Johnny Depp is going to attempt to turn this lawsuit into a cleaning soap opera, according to Heard's lawyer in a prepared statement. On Tuesday, Johnny Depp took the stand for the first time. He's testified about growing up with an abusive mother, his battles with substance misuse, and his rocky relationship with Heard. On Monday, Depp is expected to reprise his stance for more cross-examination.
Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Defamation Trial
Amber Heard is set to testify as the first witness for her defense in the mega-defamation case brought against her by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. Once Depp's team finishes its case, the Aquaman star might begin her testimony as soon as Monday at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Washington, DC.
Heard's representatives have yet to comment on the actor's testimony or its timetable. The trial has been going on for three weeks and will end on May 19. The trial will be paused for a week from May 9 to 12, when Judge Penny Azcarate has a planned meeting. Elon Musk and James Franco were previously on the witness list. Musk's lawyer stated last week that the Tesla CEO would not testify, even though he dated Heard for a year after her relationship with Depp ended in 2016.
Franco will also not be testifying, according to a person familiar with the case. His name came up in Depp's earlier court battle with the UK publication The Sun over a story calling the actor a wife-beater based on Heard's abuse accusations. After Heard, numerous other crucial witnesses are scheduled to testify. A friend of Depp's, British actor Paul Bettany, is expected to testify via video connection.
Bettany and Depp's communications have already been entered into evidence. Text conversations between the two were displayed in court during the first week of the trial, including one in which Depp wrote about drowning and burning his then-girlfriend Heard, The News07trends Time reported.
Related Article : Amber Heard-Johnny Depp Trial: Did Elon Musk Really Donate $500,000 to ACLU for 'Aquaman' Actress?
