Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Trial: What to Know

Ms. Heard’s defamation claim is against Mr. Depp, but the statements it centers on came from his former lawyer, Adam Waldman, who told the British tabloid The Daily Mail that the actress’s allegations were an “abuse hoax.”

Her lawsuit claims Mr. Depp has “authorized and conspired” with Mr. Waldman, who was acting on the actor’s behalf, to “attempt to destroy and defame Ms. Heard in the press.” (Mr. Waldman was not named as a defendant.)

What has Mr. Depp said in his testimony?

So far, Mr. Depp has testified that he had never struck Ms. Heard, nor any other woman. Instead, he asserted that Ms. Heard was the aggressor in the relationship, engaging in angry tirades and “demeaning name-calling” that would often escalate into physical violence.

“It could begin with a slap, it could begin with a shove, it could begin with throwing a TV remote at my head, throwing a glass of wine in my face,” Mr. Depp said.

The actor gave his account of several confrontations at the center of the case, including an incident in 2015 when the couple was in Australia for the filming of the fifth “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie. Mr. Depp testified that Ms. Heard was angry about a meeting she had with a lawyer about a potential postnuptial agreement and threw a handle of vodka, which shattered onto his hand, seriously injuring his middle finger.

“The tip of my finger had been severed and I was looking directly at my bone sticking out,” he testified.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/21/arts/johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial.html