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The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star, 58, sued
Heard in Virginia for $50 million and argued that she defamed
him when she called herself "a public figure representing
domestic abuse."
Heard, 36, countersued for $100 million, saying Depp smeared her
when his lawyer called her accusations a "hoax."
Attorneys for both sides will deliver closing arguments on
Friday before the case goes to the jury. If jurors do not reach
verdicts by Friday evening, they will reconvene on Tuesday,
Judge Penney Azcarate said.Depp has denied hitting Heard or any
woman and said she was the one who turned violent in their
relationship. The pair met in 2011 while filming "The Rum Diary"
and wed in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized about two
years later.
Over six weeks of proceedings, jurors have listened to
recordings of the former couple's fights, seen graphic photos of
a bloody finger and heard arguments about feces found in the
couple's bed.
Depp said Heard threw a vodka bottle that cut off the top of his
finger during an argument in 2015. Heard denied injuring Depp's
finger and said Depp sexually assaulted her that night with a
liquor bottle.
He also said he believed Heard or a friend left feces in the bed
the morning after an argument on Heard's 30th birthday. Heard
said it likely came from one of their dogs.
At the center of the legal case is a December 2018 opinion piece
by Heard in the Washington Post. The article never mentioned
Depp by name, but his lawyer told jurors it was clear that Heard
was referring to him.
Depp, once among Hollywood's biggest stars, said Heard's
allegations cost him "everything." A new "Pirates" movie was put
on hold, and Depp was replaced in the "Fantastic Beasts" film
franchise, a "Harry Potter" spinoff.
Heard's attorneys have argued that she told the truth and her
opinion was protected free speech under the U.S. Constitution's
First Amendment. They said she also lost work opportunities in
Hollywood because of Depp's accusations.
Depp lost a libel case less than two years ago against the Sun,
a British tabloid that labeled him a "wife beater." A London
High Court judge ruled that he had repeatedly assaulted Heard.
Depp's lawyers filed the U.S. case in Fairfax County, Virginia,
because the Washington Post is printed there. The newspaper is
not a defendant.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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