Jury to start deliberating on Depp and Heard defamation claims
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[May 27, 2022]
By Lisa Richwine
(Reuters) - Jurors will begin deliberations
on the dueling defamation claims from actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard
on Friday following six weeks of explicit and graphic evidence and
testimony that detailed the former Hollywood couple's soured
relationship.
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.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/culligan_sda_SFARM_2022.png)
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.
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![](../images/052722PIX/news_l21.jpg)
Actor Johhny Depp arrives at the start of the day during his
defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax,
Virginia, U.S. May 26, 2022. Michael Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/May/27/images/ads/current/goodman_sda_SFARM_2022.png)
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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