Johnny Depp’s Lawsuit Against Amber Heard Begins Trial

As the world knows, the world fell apart for actor Johnny Depp a few years ago. In 2016, his now ex-wife Amber Heard filed for divorce and then proceeded to accuse the Pirates of the Caribbean actor of domestic abuse. A representative of Depp voiced the events Heard described simply did not happen. After a multimillion dollar divorce settlement, a UK court case, and Depp being asked to leave the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Depp took the legal warfare to the United States and sued his ex-wife for defamation in a lawsuit made up of a whopping $50 million. Heard countersued her ex-husband for $100 million in summer 2020 after losing in several attempts to have the initial case tossed out. She first was accused of defaming Depp in March 2019 after a late 2018 Washington Post op-ed on domestic violence.

Depp’s newest lawsuit opened trial today in Fairfax County, Virginia where eleven jury members asked about their knowledge of the case and both of the subjects in front of Depp and Heard themselves, who were both present in the court room. The prior knowledge included facts about the high profile former couple, Heard’s sexuality and other such topics by lawyers from both sides. Once a jury was selected, Judge Penney Azcarate instructed those chosen to take notes or rely on their memory. She cautioned jurors that testimony transcripts will not be allowed to be read back to them during their deliberations. The case is expected to last six weeks and ultimately seven of the eleven jury members that have been selected will carry out the deliberation.