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Update (6/1/22): After a long and tiresome 6-week trial, it was announced on June 1 that Johnny Depp won in the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard after the jury came to a verdict. The jury found that statements made in the Washington Post op-ed from Amber — which lead to Johnny’s suing her for defamation — were indeed defamatory against Johnny. Amber had countersued him for $100 million, also claiming defamation. More AboutJohnny Depp
Johnny was awarded $5 million in punitive damages, as well as $10 million in compensatory damages. The judge capped his punitive damages at $350,000. Amber was awarded $2 million after the court ruled that a statement made by Adam Waldman was defamatory.
Following the verdict, Amber took to her Twitter to release a statement, saying she was worried about the implications of the verdict. “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband,” she tweeted.
Update (5/9/22): Amber Heard and Johnny Depp‘s defamation trial is well underway. Johnny’s legal team wrapped up their case against Amber, and the Aquaman actress’s legal team began presenting their defense, including the star’s testimony, which began on May 4. The trial will resume on Monday, May 16, and both sides are expected to make their closing arguments on Friday, May 27. Find out more about Johnny and Amber’s relationship and their current trial here.
Update (4/14/22): Amber Heard and Johnny Depp‘s trial in the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife began on Monday April 11. Johnny, 58, is seeking $50 million in damages over an op-ed that Amber, 35, penned for The Washington Post, which implied that he was abusive towards her during their marriage. Amber has countersued Johnny for defamation. Related Link
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The trial, which takes place in Fairfax, Virginia, is expected to last for about six weeks and has a few high profile celebrities expected to be called as witnesses, including Elon Musk and James Franco. So far, Johnny’s sister Christi Dembrowski and Amber’s former assistant Kate James gave testimonies. Christi testified in court on April 12, and Kate’s pre-recorded deposition was shown on April 14. The ex-assistant’s testimony included her admitting that she never saw bruises or cuts on Amber during her three years working for her.
During the opening remarks, Johnny’s lawyer has maintained that Amber’s allegations are baseless and have hurt the actor’s reputation. “She can’t back down. She has been living and breathing this lie for years now. And she has been preparing to give the performance of her life in this trial. But this trial is about the evidence. It is about the evidence. It’s about a man’s reputation,” his attorney said, partially during his opening statements. One of Amber’s attorneys detailed an alleged sexual assault by Johnny in her opening statements. The lawyer also argued that regular accusations that The Stand actress was lying about the allegations were “damaging and harmful.”
Ahead of the trial, Amber shared that she was taking a social media hiatus while it unfolded, and she shared that she was looking to move past it. ““I continue to pay that price [for speaking out], but hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny,” she wrote. “I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world.”
Original: Amber Heard and Johnny Depp‘s relationship has been nothing short of tumultuous. Throughout their four years together, the pair went through it all, from the infamous dog smuggling incident to Amber’s shock divorce filing. Of course, since the pair called it quits there have also been allegations of abuse, multiple defamation lawsuits, and countless court appearances for the two actors. Read on for everything you need to know about the former couple, and how it all went so wrong.
Who Is Amber Heard?
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Image: ShutterstockActress Amber Heard is certainly no stranger to the spotlight. While she got her start in Hollywood with small roles on shows like The O.C., and made her film debut in Friday Night Lights, her high-profile relationships have been in the headlines just as much as her career triumphs. The Zombieland and Pineapple Express actress’ tumultuous relationship with Johnny Depp is among her most infamous, however she also dated the likes of Cara Delevingne after coming out as bisexual in 2010.
At GLAAD’s 25th anniversary event in 2010, she said, “I don’t label myself one way or another—I have had successful relationships with men and now a woman. I love who I love; it’s the person that matters.” When asked why she decided to officially come out, Amber said she wanted to use her platform and fame to be a good role model for other young people. “I think when I became aware of my role in the media, I had to ask myself an important question ‘Am I part of the problem?’ And I think that when millions and millions of hard-working, taxpaying Americans are denied their rights and denied their equality you have to ask yourself what are the factors that are an epidemic problem and that’s what this is.”
Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Relationship Timeline
Amber and Johnny. Image: ShutterstockAmber and Johnny first met in 2009, on the set of the film The Rum Diary. At the time, Amber was dating painter and photographer Tasya Van Ree, while Johnny was with his ex, French actress Vanessa Paradis. After the Pirates of the Caribbean star confirmed his split from his partner of 14 years, he began dating Amber. The couple got engaged in January 2014, announcing that they, “Couldn’t be happier to be engaged and excited to share the rest of their lives together.” The pair eventually tied the knot on February 3, 2015 in a private ceremony at the Johnny’s Los Angeles mansion.
What began as apparent marital bliss quickly descended into chaos months later when the incident dubbed “Terriergate” occurred. In July 2015, the actress failed to declare the couple’s Yorkies “Pistol” and “Boo” when visiting Johnny on the Australian set of Pirates of the Caribbean 5. That infuriated the nation’s agriculture minister who charged her with two counts of illegally importing the dogs and one count of producing a false document. Many would likely recall the super awkward apology video Amber and Johnny filmed in April 2016, when she pleaded guilty to the latter count after smuggling the pooches in to the country.
After two short years of marriage, the actress filed for divorce, but that was just the beginning of what would become a years-long legal saga. Amber obtained a temporary restraining order against her ex in 2016, after alleging he had been physically and verbally abusive during their relationship. After their divorce was finalized, they issued a joint statement saying, their “relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love. Neither party has made false accusations for financial gain. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.” Then, in 2019, Johnny sued Amber for defamation after she wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in 2018 about leaving an abusive relationship.
In the article, which never named Johnny, she wrote, “I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” The actor’s suit claimed that his ex-wife “is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator,” and denied that he ever abused her. Instead, the suit said that Amber’s allegations were part of an “elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity” for the actress. The case will go to trial in 2022.
Naturally, the pair headed to court yet again, this time in 2020 after Johnny sued The Sun and its parent company for libel. The British outlet published a story in 2018 that called him a “wife beater” which Johnny vehemently denied. Amber took the stand during the trial, and claimed that her ex would often accuse her of cheating on him with her co-stars. “He accused me of having affairs with each of my co-stars, movie after movie: Eddie Redmayne, James Franco, Jim Sturgess, Kevin Costner, Liam Hemsworth, Billy Bob Thornton, Channing Tatum; even women co-stars like Kelli Garner,” the Aquaman star revealed.
Moving Forward
Amber and Johnny. Image: ShutterstockAfter the fallout of the 2020 defamation suit against The Sun, Johnny and Amber don’t appear to be on friendly terms, by any means. On the professional front, Johnny was forced to step back from his role as the dark wizard Grindelwald in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts film — which is part of the the Harry Potter universe. In a statement posted to his Instagram on November 6, 2020, four days after the conclusion to his libel case, he wrote, “I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in ‘Fantastic Beasts’ and I have respected and agreed to that request … Finally, I wish to say this. The surreal judgment of the court in the UK will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal. My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false.
Meanwhile, in Amber’s life, she announced in July 2021 that she had welcomed a baby girl, named Oonagh Paige Heard. In a sweet pic, Amber held Oonagh tight, as the newborn bub rested on a kitchen counter, surrounded by all sorts of fruits and vegetables. She first revealed that Oonagh had been born on July 1 by surrogate. “She’s the beginning of the rest of my life,” Amber wrote in an IG caption. “I wanted to [have a child] on my own terms. I now appreciate how radical it is for us as women to think about one of the most fundamental parts of our destinies in this way. I hope we arrive at a point in which it’s normalized to not want a ring in order to have a crib.”
Although the former couple are evidently leading very separate lives, the pair have met again in court for Johnny’s defamation case against Amber for her 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post. The trial began in Fairfax, Virginia on April 11, 2022.
The 2022 Defamation Trial
Johnny arrives in court for the 2022 defamation trial. (JIM LO SCALZO/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)The trial following Johnny’s defamation lawsuit began in 2022, with his legal team arguing that Amber’s op-ed damaged his reputation and cost him lucrative movie deals, including Pirates of Caribbean 6. Johnny began his testimony on April 19, and he shared his experience with many of the incidents where Amber claimed that Johnny had been abusive towards her. Johnny admitted to feeling “ashamed” and “embarrassed” by some of the texts he sent where he called his ex-wife obscene names. The Black Mass actor also admitted to abusing alcohol over the course of their relationship. He denied allegations of abuse from Amber, and he detailed different episodes in their relationship, including one where he alleged that Amber threw a vodka bottle at him, and it severed a piece of his finger.
As part of Johnny’s side presenting their case, his lawyers called various members of his security team to testify both to incidents that they saw between the former couple. At least one security guard testified to seeing Amber punch Johnny, and another said that Amber had admitted to defecating in Johnny’s bed as a “joke.” Besides security teams recounting alleged incidences of abuse, Johnny’s agent and other advisors testified that they believed that Amber’s op-ed had cost the actor movie deals.
As the defense presented their case, Amber began her testimony on May 4. During her testimony, the actress also made claims of times that Johnny had been physically abusive to her, including a time she alleged that he kicked her because he was jealous of James Franco, whom she was filming a movie with. Other than physical abuse, Amber also gave graphic accounts of alleged instances of sexual abuse. She also detailed times that Johnny had supposedly threatened her.
Amber testifies in the defamation trial. (Jim Lo Scalzo/AP/Shutterstock)As the trial is on break, Johnny’s lawyers issued a statement reacting to Amber’s testimony as the hiatus began. His attorneys seemed eager to begin their cross-examination once court resumes. “While Ms. Heard’s stories have continued to grow new and convenient details, Mr. Depp’s recollections have remained exactly the same throughout the six painful years since her first allegations were made,” Johnny’s legal team said in a statement. “His truth — the truth — is the same no matter the environment in which it is has been presented. The upcoming cross examination from Mr. Depp’s team will be most telling, and will certainly highlight the many fallacies Ms. Heard has now attempted to pass off as fact throughout her convoluted testimony.”
