Johnny Depp trial will resume and must have testimony from Elon Musk

AFP

After exposing his private life in a media trial in London, actor Johnny Depp, 58, and his ex-wife Amber Heard, 35, returned to court, this time in the United States, on mutual defamation charges. A jury was chosen on Monday (11) in Fairfax, a small town in the state of Virginia, near Washington, and this Tuesday (12) the opening arguments begin.

On Monday, Depp arrived at the courthouse through the back door, dressed in a suit and wearing sunglasses. Heard wore a striped suit. Neither of them made any statements. Showing signs that read “Justice for Johnny”, a small group of fans gathered at the entrance of the court with pirate flags in allusion to one of the actor’s most famous characters, Jack Sparrow from the series “Pirates of the Caribbean”.

The affair between Depp and Heard will be broadcast live. Both are set to testify, along with actors James Franco and Paul Bettany and mogul Elon Musk, among other celebrities.

The lawsuit grew out of an opinion piece written by Heard and published in The Washington Post in December 2018, in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic violence” and tells how she was harassed by society after her allegations of assault. . “I spoke out against sexual violence and faced the wrath of our culture. This has to change,” the article reads.

The actress does not mention at any time Depp, with whom she was married from 2015 to 2017. But the actor has sued her for defamation for insinuating he was an aggressor and is asking for $50 million in damages. “The editorial’s insinuation that Mr. Depp is a domestic abuser is categorically and demonstrably false. Mr. Depp has never abused Ms. Heard,” reads the suit filed by the actor.

“POSITIVE ADVERTISING”

Depp accuses Heard of seeking “positive publicity for herself” ahead of the release of the movie “Aquaman”, in which she played a leading role. Heard filed a countersuit and asked for US$100 million in damages. She says she suffered “unrestrained physical violence and abuse” at the hands of Depp. “The frivolous lawsuit that Mr. Depp brought against Ms. Heard maintains this abuse and harassment,” the lawsuit reads.

Jury selection began Monday at a Fairfax County courthouse outside Washington. Depp filed the suit in the state of Virginia, where the Washington Post is printed. In this state, defamation laws are considered more favorable to plaintiffs than in California, where both actors live.

The trial, presided over by Judge Penney Azcarate, is expected to last several weeks. The first statements can be made on Tuesday. Depp and Heard must testify in person, while other witnesses can testify via video.

Photos, account statements, medical exams, text messages… Many intimate details could leak during the hearings and expose, once again, the excesses of the protagonist of “Edward, Scissorhands” and eventually his ex-wife.

“MONSTER”

The scenario is very similar to that of the 2020 trial in London, when Depp lost a lawsuit to the tabloid The Sun, for presenting him as a “women beater”. His appeal request was rejected last March.

The trial revealed details about the couple’s explosive relationship, including Depp’s battle with drugs and alcohol. Heard stated that she loved the sober Depp, but that he became a “monster” after days of bingeing on prescription drugs and other drugs.

Depp’s career suffered from the case. He left his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. Depp was also forced to abandon the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, based on the book by JK Rowling, author of Harry Potter. He was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.

On Saturday (9), Amber Heard wrote on Twitter that she “always” kept “the love for Johnny” Depp. “It hurts a lot to have to relive the details of our past life in front of the world,” she added, stating that she would stay away from social media in the coming weeks.