Deliberations have begun in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial.
In order to send jurors out to deliberate on Friday afternoon, Judge Penney Azcarate made it clear that a unanimous decision was required.
Azcarate told the jury, “I know that this trial has been a huge sacrifice for all of you and has taken away from your life for weeks on end here. To thank you for your service, “I know I speak for all of us involved in the case, and I want to thank you.”
“A public figure representing domestic abuse” is the op-ed piece written by Heard in the Washington Post in 2018, which Depp claims falsely painted him as an abuser and cost him work in Hollywood. Retaliating against Depp, Heard sued him for defamation after his lawyer said that her claims of abuse were “hoaxes.”
On Friday, Amber Heard was joined by her attorney, Elaine Bredehoft.
On Friday, Amber Heard was joined by her attorney, Elaine Bredehoft.
Jurors heard closing arguments from both Heard and Depp’s attorneys shortly before beginning deliberations.
She would win the case if Depp couldn’t show that he ever abused Heard, according to her lawyer, Ben Rottenborn.
Mr. Depp, Rottenborn said, “simply cannot prove to you that he never once abused Amber.” Rottenborn. “If Amber is found guilty, it will send a message to other abuse victims that no matter what they do, they must always do more. What ever you document, more documentation is always required. There’s always a new group of people you have to share your story with. Even if you are open and honest about your own flaws and shortcomings in a relationship, people won’t believe you if you aren’t perfect. That’s not what I want to hear.”
In a statement on Friday, Depp’s legal team claimed that Heard was the abuser, not Depp.
On Friday, Johnny Depp appeared in court.
There are far too many women who have experienced what Ms. Heard has described in this courtroom, attorney Camille Vasquez said. “However, the weight and volume of the evidence show that this is not her version of events. It’s not the story of Ms. Heard. Mr. Depp was not the only victim of this heinous act of violence against those who have endured domestic abuse. In order for Ms. Heard to represent domestic abuse in the public eye. In addition to being false and defamatory, it caused irreparable harm to my reputation.”
As many as 100 hours of testimony from witnesses who gave conflicting accounts of the former couple’s private life—from movie deals to accounts of violent altercations—were presented to jurors over the course of six weeks.
After Friday’s deliberations, if the jury does not come to a decision, they will resume on Tuesday.