On Monday, the seven-member jury was assembled, but today the two sides really had their say in the Virginia court for the first time. Ben Rottenborn, one of Amber Heard’s lawyers, was allowed to start. In his opening statement, he pointed out to the jury that they will get to know the “real Johnny Depp, the man behind the fame, the money and the pirate costumes”.
American actor sues $50 million for defamation after Heard wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post about domestic violence. Heard does not mention Depp’s name in the piece, but according to the actor it is obvious that she means him. The actress wanted to have the case dismissed, but that did not work. She then filed a counter-claim for 100 million. The process is much discussed: not only will it be broadcast live, there will also be a series of well-known figures testifying.
Heard to the aggressor
During the opening statement by Camille Vasquez, one of Depp’s lawyers, it sounded the opposite of what Heard’s team claims: it is not the actor, but the actress who is pretending to be different from who she really is. “Mrs. Heard is a very troubled person who manipulates the people around her.”
According to Vasquez, that is also the reason why Depp fell for her in the first place. “She chased him, she courted him. She did everything she could to win him over by playing the doting girlfriend, and it worked: he fell head over heels in love with her.”
According to Vasquez, Depp’s friends noticed that there was something wrong with Heard more quickly than the actor himself. “She scolded him, she yelled at him and threw things at his head. She would always soothe those events by saying she loves him so much that she lost control. But it happened again and again.”
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A relationship therapist with whom the couple went to therapy would also have described Heard as the aggressor in the relationship. “The couple’s entourage can confirm that they always had to reserve an extra hotel room when the two were traveling or traveling together, just in case Depp wanted to escape Heard’s tantrums.”
It is also at one of these times that Depp was injured, his defense argues. “She got so violent that she threw a bottle at him which eventually broke. He had several injuries to his hand and fingers as a result.”
Sexually abused during blackout
It was not Heard but Depp who became aggressive under the influence of alcohol and drugs, according to Heard’s team. “We will bring testimonials from therapists to whom he has admitted that he becomes enraged, that he is like a demon when he drinks and takes drugs, and that he saw Amber Heard as his mother and sister he hates,” attorney Elaine Charlson said. Bredehoft.
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Holding her arms wide open to show how large her file is, Bredehoft said: “I have here a list of medicines and resources that his entourage had to provide. Good for about $150,000 a month.”
According to Bredehoft, Depp was not only verbally and physically aggressive, but he would also have sexually abused his ex-wife several times. Including during a three-day trip in Australia. For example, Depp would have used a bottle of liquor to penetrate Heard while she was barely conscious. At that point during the trial, Depp shakes his head with ‘no’.
‘Wife beater’
It is not the first time that Depp and Heard have crossed swords before a judge, but it is the first time that allegations about sexual abuse have been added.
The former couple faced each other in court two years ago. Then Depp . had The Sun sued for defamation and defamation after the British tabloid gave him a ‘wife beater‘ mentioned. After a number of infernal and detail-packed days of trial, Depp finally lost the case in November 2020. The judge found that there was sufficient evidence of assault. He said there was no libel.
The current process is expected to take several weeks. More than 100 witnesses will be questioned during the trial. Depp called out 38, Heard 81
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