Johnny Depp's defamation trial against his ex- wife is over.
Friends and employees testified that he controlled his liquor and Heard was abusive towards him.
Heard testified that he threatened to kill her.
For the past three weeks, a Virginia jury has heard from Johnny Depp, as well as a parade of the actor's family, friends, and employees.
Heard is going to tell her side of the story.
The defamation trial is centered on a Washington Post op-ed in which Heard claimed that she had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of Depp.
To the tune of $50 million, Johnny Depp wants Heard to pay for an article that ruined his reputation and career. In reality, Heard abused him, mocking his weight and career and physically assault him throughout their relationship.
If you have been following the trial so far, you have heard a lot about how Depp was a total Southern gentleman, while Heard admitted to escalating arguments to violence. Heard replaced her public relations team in the middle of the trial.
That is the nature of a court trial. The witnesses have to be presented first. After that, the defendants get to make their case. On Tuesday morning, Depp rested his case.
In Heard's countersuit, she claimed that she was attacked by Depp in drug and alcohol rages before and during their marriage. The relationship ended in divorce in 2016 after she showed up with a bruised face to a Los Angeles court.
There will be fireworks when Heard presents her case.
The four day testimony of Johnny Depp in the Fairfax County, Virginia courtroom has been the center of the trial so far. The story of his relationship with Heard was told by him.
He said the domestic violence claims ruined his reputation in Hollywood, where he was once one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Dozens of fans have shown up to support him in court, and many more online, upset that he isn't reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" film franchise.
He spoke about how his abusive mother molded him into a pacifist. He said he tried to extricate himself from the situation whenever he was confronted with his mother.
Some of the other witnesses corroborate parts of the story. The older sister said that it wasn't in his nature to be abusive because of what they had experienced as children from their mother.
The witnesses tried to downplay his drug and alcohol use as well, something which Heard's team has signaled will become a major part of her defense.
While he admitted to being dependent on opioids because of a leg injury, he never drank alcohol or used recreational drugs to excess.
The arguments from Heard's team have been pre-empted by Depp. In his telling, Heard's lawyers have misrepresented his joking, exaggerated text messages about drug use and burning and drowned Heard's body in a way that make him look like a monster. When Heard's lawyer cross-examined him, he was testy and downplayed or tried to raise doubts about audio and video.
Insider spoke to legal experts who said they were impressed with the performance of the actor.
I think he did a good job of coming off vulnerable and authentic.
The forensic psychologist who evaluated Heard and testified she was prone to violence and making up stories was called to the stand by the legal team. Heard failed to donate the money she promised from her divorce settlement with Heard, instead receiving some money from Musk.
Heard's lawyer said in opening statements that the case was about whether Heard was exercising her First Amendment right to free speech by writing her op-ed.
While the legal team of Johnny Depp tried to cast doubt on her claims of domestic violence, Heard's lawyers will try and convince the jury that the claims are true. The burden is on Depp to prove that Heard's allegations were false.
There are other reasons why this case was brought. His career waned because he was unfairly lumped into the #MeToo movement. It is possible that winning this case will be the only way to clear his name.
He already tried that. He went to trial in 2020 against the owners of The Sun, a British tabloid, which called him a wife beater. In the UK, libel laws are more favorable to the people who are sued than they are in the US. The judge wrote that Heard's claims were substantiated.
Heard testified in the UK case. If you look back at her testimony, it spells bad news for him.
She testified in 2020 that she had been threatened to kill, and that she had been accused of infidelity. He threw bottles at her as if they weregrenades, she said. In a way, he blamed the monster for his actions, according to Heard. In his testimony, he gave a tortured explanation of how he used the phrase "monster" to describe his struggle to get sober.
Heard said that she punched Depp in self-defense. The bed has poop on it. She blamed it on her dogs.
A source close to Heard's legal team told Insider that Dawn Hughes, a clinical and forensic psychologist, will be Heard's first witness.
Heard is expected to take the stand.
If he used this case to rehabilitate his career, he hasn't succeeded yet. Major studios aren't exactly running to sign him up for more blockbusters, even though hordes of online fans have expressed their support
When Heard testifies, she may discover that his efforts were for nothing.
Jesse Weber is a host of the Law and Crime Network.
It is becoming more difficult to show that there was no abuse. Weber said it was becoming more difficult to show that she lied in the article.
The original article can be found on Insider.
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