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It has been around 22 days since Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard entered the trial stage. Court proceedings have been underway for over three weeks as several witnesses and experts have been brought in to give their testimony for the trial.
On Tuesday, May 3, Depp's legal team rested their case at the Fairfax, Virginia, courthouse as the trial moved into the fourth week since it began.
Meanwhile, Judge Penney Azcarate rejected the motion to dismiss the trial from Heard's legal team.
As part of the defamation lawsuit, Depp sued Heard for $50 million as he cited loss of income following the actress' 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post. This makes Depp the original plaintiff in the case.
However, the 36-year-old Aquaman star counter-sued Depp for $100 million as she also cited defamation. In this context, Depp is a defendant, and Heard is a plaintiff.
As a result, Depp and Heard have occupied both roles throughout the case.
What are Johnny Depp's reasons as the plaintiff for suing Amber Heard?
Johnny Depp's lawsuit revolves around claims that Amber Heard's op-ed in the Washington Post (published December 18, 2018) caused significant losses in his income.
In the op-ed, Heard claimed that she was s*xually abused. While the actress did not name Depp in the article, the actor's legal team argued that the allegations were aimed at the 58-year-old star.
Following the op-ed's publication, Depp lost out on one of the most prominent roles of his career. In 2019, it was revealed that he would no longer appear as Captain Jack Sparrow in the sixth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean.
In the trial, Depp's legal team deposed forensic accountant Michael Spindler, who assessed that the losses to the actor's income following the op-ed were around $40 million. The estimate also included his negotiation of $22.5 million.
Meanwhile, entertainment attorney Richard Marks told the jury:
"The Op-Ed damaged Mr. Depp, created a 'cancel situation,' if you will. Harmed his reputation and ability to get work in the Hollywood industry."
Furthermore, the testimonies of the witnesses and experts brought by Depp's legal team showcased Amber Heard in a negative light. For instance, on April 26, forensic psychologist Dr. Shannon Curry stated that she had diagnosed Heard with Borderline Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder.
Similarly, Johnny Depp's security officer Travis McGivern claimed that Heard had punched and spat on the actor. Heard's failure to donate the entirety of her $7 million settlement from Depp to the ACLU was also brought up in the court.
Meanwhile, psychologist Dr. Dawn Hughes, who was brought in by Heard's legal team, claimed that the actress suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from Depp’s alleged violence towards her.
How can Johnny Depp win this case?
Defamation lawsuits are different for individuals like Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, who are categorized as "public figures."
Thus, Depp would have to prove that Heard made the allegations against him out of malice.
The upcoming part of the trial is highly anticipated by many as it would feature Heard's testimony.
