Johnny Depp, Amber Heard
Verdict of Johnny Depp- Amber Heard case came in favour of Hollywood star Depp. Johnny Depp won the case as a jury on Wednesday ruled in his favour in the libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, vindicating his stance that Heard fabricated claims that she was abused by Depp before and during their brief marriage. The jury also found in favour of Heard, who said she was defamed by Depp's lawyer when he called her abuse allegations a hoax. But how it started and what led to Depp's victory? Here's the timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's trial with 10 key events:
Johnny Depp-Amber Heard's dating life, marriage and divorce
Heard and Depp met while making the 2011 film 'The Rum Diary', and later wed in 2015. They broke up in May 2016, when Heard sought a domestic violence restraining order against him, accusing him of abusing her. Depp denied the claims, and the former couple settled their divorce out of court in August 2016.
How it began?
Depp sued Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse." Depp sued Heard for $50 million alleging that she defamed him. Heard filed a defamation counterclaim saying that she suffered a severe career setback after Depp's lawyer, Adam Waldman, accused her of perpetrating an "abuse hoax" in 2020.
What Johnny Depp and Amber Heard accuse each other of?
Both the Hollywood actors accused each other of domestic violence at multiple instances.
Jonny Depp claims he lost films
In addition to this, Depp also alleged that because of Heard’s "false charges" he lost roles in major movies. Depp, a three-time best actor Oscar nominee, had until recent years been a bankable star. His turn as Jack Sparrow helped turn the “Pirates of the Caribbean” into a global franchise, but he's lost that role. He was also replaced in the third “Fantastic Beasts” spin-off film, “The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Also Read | Dwayne Johnson to replace Johnny Depp in Pirates of Caribbean 6?
Also Read | Johnny Depp, Amber Heard's career after verdict: Future of Pirates of Caribbean, Aquaman & more
Sexual assaults claims by Amber Heard and Depp's severed finger
In the court, Heard enumerated more than a dozen alleged assaults, including a fight in Australia — where Depp was shooting a “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequel — in which Depp lost the tip of his middle finger and Heard said she was sexually assaulted with a liquor bottle.
Depp texting Amber about 'killing' her
Depp said he never hit Heard and that she was the abuser, though Heard's attorneys highlighted years-old text messages Depp sent apologizing to Heard for his behavior as well as profane texts he sent to a friend in which Depp said he wanted to kill Heard and defile her dead body.
Amber Heard left poop in bed to prank Johnny Depp?
While testifying, the 36-year-old actress was asked about the instance when Depp said he was shown a photograph of "fecal matter on the bed" after Heard left with friends to go to Coachella back in April 2016. Depp has testified that Heard "tried to blame it on the dogs" but he didn't believe the dropping that he observed in a photograph could have come from their small pets.
Kate Moss' testimony
Supermodel Kate Moss appeared at Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's $100 million defamation lawsuit via video link to deny rumours that her ex-boyfriend had pushed her down the stairs. Heard, 36, previously referenced the model during the ongoing court case, when she discussed an alleged altercation between Depp and her sister. When asked in the court if the 58-year-old Hollywood actor had ever pushed her down the stairs while they were dating, Moss replied: "No, he never pushed me, kicked me or pushed me down any stairs."
Also Read | Johnny Depp trial: Kate Moss says actor didn’t push her down stairs when they dated -
Did Amber Heard photoshopped her photos on injured face?
To testify Amber Heard's claims her sister alleged that the actress was physically abused by the actor. The actress' makeup artist spoke about an incident before The Late Late Show With James Corden in December 2015. She said that the actress was physically assaulted and she endured injury marks which were covered by makeup. Depp's lawyers denied the claims alleging that Amber has photoshopped the images.
Claims about substance abuse and PTSD
The case captivated viewers who watched gavel-to-gavel television coverage, including impassioned followers on social media who dissected the actors' mannerisms, their wardrobe choices and their use of alcohol and drugs. A psychologist had told jurours that actress Amber Heard suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Johnny Depp. However, Depp's party refuted the claims.
Depp on the other hand, admitted to developing an addiction to pain medication following an injury on the set of 'Pirates of the Caribbean 4', taking his mother's "nerve pills" from the age of just 11, and indulging in various substances over the years to "numb myself of the ghosts, the wraiths that were still with me from my youth", he insisted the 'Aquaman' star had made some "plainly false" allegations relating to his use of drugs and alcohol. Highlighting various long periods of sobriety over the years and explaining how he had detoxed from the prescription drugs, he told the court: "The characterisation of my 'substance abuse' that's been delivered by Ms. Heard is grossly embellished.
Final Verdict
A jury sided with Johnny Depp in his libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, awarding the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor more than USD 10 million and vindicating his allegations that Heard lied about Depp abusing her before and during their brief marriage. But in a split decision, the jury also found that Heard was defamed by one of Depp's lawyers, who accused her of creating a detailed hoax that included roughing up the couple's apartment to look worse for police. The jury awarded her USD 2 million. The verdicts bring an end to a televised trial that Depp had hoped would help restore his reputation, though it turned into a spectacle that offered a window into a vicious marriage.
Also Read | Johnny Depp and Amber Heard issue statements after verdict: One is thrilled, other heartbroken
--with agency inputs
