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Watch live as testimony continues for Johnny Depp defamation case against Amber Heard
The trial for Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit against former wife, Amber Heard, has adjourned until Monday after a third day of testimony in Virginia.
On Thursday, witness Gina Deuters, a friend of Depp’s, had her testimony struck from the record and was dismissed after admitting she had seen clips of the trial online. Instead video evidence from Dr David Kipper who treated the actor for addiction was played.
Earlier, recorded depositions were shown from Heard’s former assistant Kate James, and the couple’s marriage counsellor Dr Laurel Anderson who detailed their “mutual abuse”.
Depp claims a 2018 article about domestic violence towards women, written by Heard, implied he was an abuser during their relationship. Although she did not name him, lawyers claim her allegations have made it difficult for the actor to land movie roles.
He is asking for $50m (￡38.2m) in damages during the trial in Fairfax County’s district courthouse. Heard has filed a counterclaim against Depp for nuisance.
Depp has previously lost a defamation case in the UK againstThe Sun about the same article by Heard.
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Key points Marriage counsellor describes ‘mutual abuse’ between Depp and Heard Johnny Depp’s friend ejected as witness as she admits watching clips of defamation trial In pictures: Thursday in court in the Depp v Heard trial Court shown plans of Depp and Heard’s extravagant five-home penthouse Depp’s tearful friend pleads for couple to ‘go heal’ at Amber Heard trial
Show latest update 1650096038 Piers Morgan calls Amber Heard and Depp ‘supreme narcissists’ amid trial
Piers Morgan has described Johnny Depp and Amber Heard as “supreme narcissists” amid the couple’s ongoing high-profile legal battle.
In an opinion column for the New York Post, Morgan wrote: “I can honestly say that the number of f***s I give about this shamelessly deluded and self-obsessed pair of whiny wastrels could be written on the back of Mycoplasma genitalium, the planet’s smallest living organism.”
He also compared Depp and Heard to exes Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who have been embroiled in a bitter legal battle over custody of their children since they divorced in 2016.
The divisive ex-Good Morning Britain host Morgan accused the pair of “playing the victim at a time when there are millions of real victims suffering from war, a killer virus, and crippling rises in the cost of living”.
Maanya Sachdeva 16 April 2022 09:00
1650090638 Amber Heard’s personal assistant says she was paid ‘very poorly’ by film star
Katherine “Kate” James recounted the extreme working conditions she allegedly endured as a former personal assistant to Amber Heard during her testimony in the defamation trial.
Heard’s personal assistant answered questions – in a pre-recorded video deposition completed in February – regarding her past employment with the film star, which she said lasted from 2012 to 2015.
In the video, James explained that her job duties included “too many to mention” and that Heard paid her “very poorly”.
“She paid me $25 an hour to start off with and she finally agreed after screaming abuse at me that she would pay me $50,000 a year once I went to full time.”
The Independent’s Inga Parkel has the full story here:
Amber Heard’s personal assistant says she was paid ‘very poorly’ by film star Heard’s former personal assistant was asked questions regarding her past employment with the actor
Maanya Sachdeva 16 April 2022 07:30
1650084909 Amber Heard’s defence: What is anti-SLAPP provision?
Amber Heard is likely to argue that The Washington Post op-ed over which ex Johnny Depp is suing her is a matter of public interest during their ongoing trial at Fairfax County Circuit Court.
Judge Penney Azcarate ruled in a preliminary hearing in Virginia in March that Ms Heard’s legal team was entitled to use a defence known as an anti-SLAPP Provision, which stands for a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.
According to the provision, Heard is free to argue before a jury that she should be protected from a libel lawsuit given that the article in question addressed a matter of public interest and safety.
Depp is suing Heard for $50m for defamation over the 2018 article in which she alluded that the Pirates of the Caribbean actor assaulted her.
Maanya Sachdeva 16 April 2022 05:55
1650070845 Where did the relationship go wrong?
At the heart of the defamation trial is the question of what - or who - caused Depp and Heard’s relationship to fall apart.
The Independent’s Clémence Michallon explains the case pitting these former lovers on opposite sides:
Everything we know about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation case Why is Johnny Depp suing Amber Heard?
Megan Sheets 16 April 2022 02:00
1650067245 Everything to know about Depp and Heard’s relationship
Depp and Heard are believed to have started dating in 2012, after Depp split from his longtime partner, French actor Vanessa Paradis.
They got engaged in 2014 before tying the knot a year later.
By May 2016, they were in court seeking a divorce.
The Independent’s Clémence Michallon recaps the relationship:
A timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s relationship and court battles As Depp’s $50m defamation lawsuit gets underway in Virginia, Clémence Michallon looks at the former couple’s legal history
Megan Sheets 16 April 2022 01:00
1650064545 Heard accuses Depp of sexual assault for the first time
Most of the allegations made in Tuesday’s opening statements had been aired before - except one from Heard’s legal team.
Her attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, claimed that Depp sexually assaulted Heard using a liquor bottle during a black-out drunk episode.
Upon hearing this claim, Depp appeared to shake his head in disbelief. Later, his attorney questioned why she’d never made it before.
The Independent’s Graig Graziosi reports:
Amber Heard accuses Johnny Depp of sexual assault with liquor bottle This is the first time Ms Heard has publicly alleged Mr Depp sexually assaulted her
Megan Sheets 16 April 2022 00:15
1650061845 Depp’s sister reveals their mother’s abuse
Depp’s older sister Christi Dembrowski, who is also the president of his production company Infinitum Nihil, took the stand on Tuesday and told the court about the siblings’ early lives and growing up in Kentucky with an abusive mother described as “angry” and “high strung”.
She said her mother would hit them and their father, and called them names. She claimed her mother called Mr Depp “one-eye” because he wore an eyepatch to correct a lazy eye when he was a child.
“Did Johnny respond?” Mr Depp’s attorney Benjamin Chew asked Ms Dembrowski.
“Those names were just a way of life. We got used to them,” she replied.
The Independent’s Maanya Sachdeva reports:
Johnny Depp’s sister reveals their abusive mother used to call him ‘one eye’ Christi Dembrowski also told court Amber Heard called Johnny Depp ‘old, fat man’
Megan Sheets 15 April 2022 23:30
1650059145 Depp smirks in court
One of Depp’s most expressive moments in court this week came during the opening statement from Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, who told the jury: “Johnny Depp is obsessed with Elon Musk.”
A smirk erupted on the actor’s face in response - possibly due to his previous claims that Heard had an affair with Musk.
The Independent’s Graeme Massie describes the moment:
Johnny Depp smirks as court hears he’s obsessed with Elon Musk Tesla CEO’s name was brought up in opening statements in Virginia courtroom
Megan Sheets 15 April 2022 22:45
1650056445 Voices: A courthouse infiltrated by fame
Our reporter, Clémence Michallon, has been covering the defamation trial from inside the Fairfax County courthouse throughout this week.
Here, she shares her insights on the proceedings:
From hardcore Johnny Depp fans to inappropriate texts: At the courthouse in Virginia One carried a sign that read ‘Justice for Johnny’. One brought a bouquet
Megan Sheets 15 April 2022 22:00
1650054645 In pictures: Outside the courtroom
Johnny Depp smiles as he leaves the Fairfax County courthouse on 13 April
(AFP via Getty Images)
Amber Heard arrives for the second day of testimony on 13 April
(AFP via Getty Images)
A supporter of Johnny Depp sits outside the courthouse with a placard on 12 April
(REUTERS)
Megan Sheets 15 April 2022 21:30
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