It must be one of the most talked about trials of recent years, the case between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard. The actor is suing for $50 million for defamation after Heard wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post about domestic violence. His name was never mentioned in that piece, but according to Depp it is very clear that it is about him. Heard then filed a counter-claim for 100 million. Not only is the mega-trial expected to take weeks, many celebrities will also be on the witness stand. In their wake: dozens of journalists and cameras.
A seven-member jury was assembled in a Virginia court on Monday, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that Depp and Heard — or rather, their teams of attorneys — were given the floor. The heavy artillery was immediately brought out. For example, the actress’s lawyers claimed that Depp not only physically and verbally assaulted her, but also sexually abused her. He allegedly penetrated her with a bottle of liquor while she was barely conscious† Depp shook his head “no” when he apparently first heard that statement.
smashed to shards
On the third day, things get a bit rough again. This time, Depp’s fingertip is one of the most striking points of discussion. Once again, Heard’s lawyers focus on Depp’s aggressive behavior. Especially when he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, that behavior would get out of hand. One of those aggressive moments and the accompanying incident is therefore widely spread: Depp is said to have injured his middle finger after he smashed several bottles of alcohol into shards.
According to Heard, the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor would also be sickly jealous, a feeling that was reinforced again when he was under the influence of, for example, ecstasy. “It made him furious,” it sounds. “And then he lashed out.”
Head is said to have been physically attacked by Depp several times. — © EPA-EFE
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Unsurprisingly, Depp’s entourage has a different story. So it is Heard who would have caused the actor to get injured in the finger. After all, she would have thrown broken bottles at him. One of those bottles exploded and the shards cut off the tip of his finger.
Depp’s sister, Christi Dembrowski, 61, also attended as a witness and confirmed the incident. She also allegedly helped her brother hide the injuries from the paparazzi. According to the woman, both Depp and Heard wanted that to prevent the quarrel from being widely spread in the press. Dembrowski also talked extensively about the difficult childhood she and her brother went through.
great teeth
A childhood friend of Johnny Depp also spoke on the third day of the trial: Isaac Baruch. His testimonies stood out because they made the entire court chuckle – including Depp. For example, Baruch said that Depp loved his artwork so much that he wanted to gift him a penthouse and that he was allowed to live there for more than three years without paying rent, just so that he had enough time to paint.
At one point he had to admit to Depp that it would take him longer, but according to Baruch, his friend reacted positively: “He told me not to worry. That he didn’t care how long it took, as long as I painted every day.” Depp smiled during the testimony.
Baruch also described his relationship with Amber Heard, and friends of the couple. “I fell in love with them all. Every time I came over (several apartments in the building were occupied by friends or acquaintances, ed.), I was offered something to drink or eat,” said Baruch. Striking: according to Baruch, it was loving between Depp and Heard. “I loved her. And she has such amazing teeth.” The courtroom erupted in laughter.
–Isaac Baruch, a childhood friend of Depp, made the courtroom laugh — © REUTERS
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