This week marks the start of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s historic defamation lawsuit in Fairfax, Virginia.
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Depp is suing ex-wife Heard for $50 million following a 2018 op-ed piece regarding her alleged experience as a victim, and subsequent survivor, of domestic viewing. Heard is countersuing the Corpse Bride star for $100 million.
This civil case comes on the heels of Depp’s November 2020 libel lawsuit loss that cost him his starring roles in both The Walt Disney Company’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Warner Bros. Fantastic Beasts Harry Potter spinoff series.
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Despite a great deal of support from his fans — some of whom have begun boycotting Warner Bros. for not firing Heard from their DC Comics Aquaman franchise — Depp has not been able to find work in Hollywood on a regular basis since his initial legal loss in 2020.
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Now, the actor has been ripped apart in opening statements yesterday. Per a report about the court proceedings, Heard’s lawyer spoke specifically about the now-infamous alleged “hostage” situation during a Pirates of the Caribbean shoot:
Johnny Depp punched and kicked his then-wife Amber Heard during a three-day blackout in Australia, then in a later attack dragged her by her hair, pulling out chunks, Heard’s attorney said during opening statements Tuesday of the trial in which a jury will determine whether Heard was telling the truth when she said she was a victim of domestic violence.
Depp’s team, however, “said that Heard was the physically abusive one, and that he would lock himself in the bathroom to avoid her.”
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Furthermore, Depp’s camp alleged that the Jack Sparrow actor would book two hotel rooms when he and heard traveled so he could escape her “rage.”
The “bottle incident” from the December 2015 Australia trip also came up yesterday. Heard notoriously reportedly threw a vodka bottle at Depp and it severed his finger. Heard’s attorney, however, asserted that the Alice In Wonderland star cut off his own finger.
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This is a sentiment shared by Depp’s many supporters who have made hashtags like #AmberHeardIsanAbuser trend over the past several months.
It is, of course, imperative to note that everyone involved in the situation remains innocent until proven guilty.
The Law & Crime Network live-streamed all seven-and-a-half hours of yesterday’s proceedings, which you can view in full below:
More on Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard
If you haven’t been following the ongoing Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard case, in November 2020, Hollywood actor Depp lost his libel lawsuit against U.K. News Group Newspaper publication, The Sun, for their report that he had allegedly engaged in domestic violence — including a reported “hostage” situation during a Pirates of the Caribbean shoot in Australia — against the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom actress on multiple occasions.
British Judge Andrew Nicol presided over the original proceedings, and Depp later lost his right to appeal the original ruling in the United Kingdom. The Jack Sparrow actor, for his part, has denied the domestic violence allegations, with even his ex-partners, Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder, speaking out in his defense at various points in time.
Depp has been fired from his two most high-profile parts — his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s Pirates franchise and as Gellert Grindelwald in Warner Bros. Fantastic Beasts series — as a result of the ongoing situation.
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At this time, as noted, the former couple is appearing in court in relation to their $50 million U.S. civil lawsuit.
Are you following the court proceedings in Virginia?