Johnny Depp to testify in defamation case against Amber Heard

Reuters

Actor Johnny Depp, 58, will testify in a Virginia court on Tuesday in the defamation trial, in which he accuses ex-wife and actress Amber Heard, 35, of ruining his career with false accusations of violence during the relationship.

Depp alleges that Heard defamed him when he wrote an article in December 2018 in the Washington Post about being a survivor of domestic violence. He filed a $50 million lawsuit against Heard in 2018.

The article didn’t mention Depp by name, but the actor’s attorney, Benjamin Chew, told jurors a week ago that it was clear Heard was referring to the Hollywood artist. Heard’s lawyers argued that she told the truth and that her opinion was protected as free speech by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Witnesses called by Depp’s lawyers included friends of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star and a doctor and nurse who said they treated him for substance abuse. Witnesses stated that they knew of the arguments between the couple, but did not witness Depp’s physical aggression against Heard.

A state court judge in Fairfax County, Virginia, is overseeing the trial, which is in its second week and is expected to last six weeks. Less than two years ago, Depp lost a defamation case against The Sun, a British tabloid that branded him a “wife beater”. A London High Court judge ruled that he repeatedly assaulted Heard.