Depp didn't appear to look at Heard a single time during her afternoon on the witness stand. After a man burst in with a gun, a San Francisco synagogue confronts hate, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. He has denied it and no charges were filed, but she was granted a temporary restraining order after swearing to the court that she feared for her life. Believe all women, except Amber Heard, Chris Rock joked recently. Heard testified that one of their dogs, incontinent since eating Depps weed as a puppy, defiled the bed. Thats disgusting.. Depp, also an actor, does not face the same volume of accusations of artificiality. She is losing in the court of public opinion. the behavioral analyst said. Later, it was Johnny Depp who first sued ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation after the latter wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post. Again, what may be true or not is impossible for bystanders to guess. There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm. 6 min read. Amber Heards lawyer grills Johnny Depp during cross-examination with a slew of embarrassing messages that might undermine parts of Depps testimony. Why arent we warning them. Depp's lawyers to prove that Heard's allegations of domestic violence against her ex-husband are false. Before we get to that, can you tell us about the verdict? "If he was going to leave she would strike him to keep him there. In May 2016, just after she filed for divorce, Heard accused Depp of throwing a cellphone at her face during a fight. It was not really a jovial time, and I dont think thats funny, period, she said. Depp lost his case. Photos introduced as evidence depict a gruesome injury. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. If Heard wanted out of such a marriage, she certainly had good reason. Thanks for contacting us. Pool photo by Jim Lo Scalzo. Depp is pictured testifying during the trial at Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia on April 19, 2022. Looks like he knew his audience. We know that domestic violence is a hidden epidemic, and is vastly underreported. A Saturday Night Live sketch last weekend turned one of Depps wildest accusations against Heard into a skit, treating her as a figure of ridicule and him as a charming scamp. A cellphone video she entered into the record depicts an apparently drunken Depp storming into their kitchen, grabbing a bottle of red wine, and slamming and breaking glass cabinet fronts. "One question I have right now, in our sort of post-#MeToo moment," Bedera commented, "we're trying to decide what the consequences should be for intimate partner violence. Amber Heard 's defense rested its case on Thursday after an exhaustive six-week trial. Although the article did not use his name, Depp claims it destroyed his career and made him a Hollywood pariah. (Elizabeth Frantz/Pool/AFP) The actress also described incidents in. Why is there such a disparity? But its also something much more valuable: an insight into the way we think about and, much more often, ignore intimate partner violence. And if Depp joked about killing her Lets burn Amber!! On Monday, actor Johnny Depp is scheduled to return to the stand in the defamation trial between him and his former wife, Amber Heard, that is taking place in Fairfax County, Va. Depp sued Heard over an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post in 2018 about being a survivor of domestic violence. Her profession is used against her, as Depp fans claim that shes acting her way through her testimony and is clearly insincere. Their marriage counselor testified that both abused each other. 6:08 PM EDT, Tue May 17, 2022, 'Every word of it is true': Heard speaks on op-ed after break in defamation trial, OK Boomer, Lets Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind, much higher rates of intimate partner violence. "I know she led (the fights) on more than one occasion and started it to keep him with her because abandonment and having him leave was her worst nightmare," Anderson said last week. Reps for Depp and Heard declined to comment. The ruling was made in 2020. Amber Heard's stand against Johnny Depp's assaults should not have deprived her of public sympathy for suffering the ordeal of domestic violence, a leading human rights lawyer has said. Mr. Depp is suing his ex-wife for allegedly defaming him via an article she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018 under the headline I spoke up about sexual violence and faced our cultures wrath. This kind of humility is useful for feminists, too: We can understand that women are much more likely to be abused than men, but that doesnt mean that women are the victims and men the perpetrators in 100% of abusive relationships. First Amendment scholars say the battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is unlikely to have any deep significance for the law. Curry said she met with Heard, 36, for 12 hours as well as reviewed her medical, legal and psychiatric records to reach her diagnosis. Proving libel is much easier in Britain than in the United States, because there the burden of proof rests with the defendant. In this trial, the burden is on Depp's lawyers to prove that Heard's allegations of domestic violence against her ex-husband are false. The trial gives you a glimpse of Depp-Amber's . But we can also look at the public response to that convoluted evidence as a kind of bellwether for sexism. Bedera also says that she is concerned about the impact this trial could have on victims of intimate partner violence and their willingness to come forward. Primary Menu Sections Skip to search results But Depp neednt succeed in court to achieve his ends. A Canadian couple with an uncanny resemblance to Amber Heard and Johnny Depp has gone viral on TikTok after imitating the actors amid their blockbuster defamation trial. Millions more will see the short, fan-made clips . Depp lost his libel battle against the Sun in London's high court in November 2020, after the judge found the majority of alleged assaults made by Depp against Heard were "proved to the civil . Steve Helber/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington . In 2020, Depp lost a similar case against The Sun newspaperin a Britishcourt when the judge found that the evidence presented was "substantially true." Johnny Depp set out on a complicated legal path when he sued Amber Heard for defamation. In court on Monday, Depp's medical team testified about the night his finger tip was severed, with the actor saying that Heard threw a glass vodka bottle at him, leading to it getting cut off. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. But he's denying that Amber Heard's story of it is trustworthy, and instead saying that she drove him to violence." The stars wed in 2015, with Heard filing for divorce the following year. The most expert insight probably comes from the couples marriage counselor. He is suing his ex-wife for $50 million, alleging she defamed him in her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse. All rights reserved. FAIRFAX, Va. ( NewsNation) Actor Johnny Depp told jurors Tuesday that he felt compelled to sue his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel out of an obsession for the truth after she accused him of domestic violence. Results, interactive data, and methodology on Americans' attitudes on the defamation trial with Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, from a May 20 - 22, 2022 YouGov survey. "According to a Know Your IX report from 2021, they found that of the survivors that report to their universities, 23% are threatened with defamation lawsuits by their perpetrators, and 10% face some kind of a retaliatory complaint on campus.". Depp testified at length about the childhood abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother, Betty Sue, even flinching on the stand as he described how hed protect himself when she walked past him at home. Ahouraian was a little more skeptical about Depps marketability going forward. He says he didnt come close to hitting her, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life. He further accuses her of having thrown a vodka bottle his way that smashed and severed a finger. Last Thursday, Depp's former agent testified that studios were less willing to work with him because of his "unprofessional behavior" and rumored substance abuse. To much of social media, though, it looks like a simplistic morality tale: a hero being brought down by a scheming wench; a good man taken in by a bad woman. It's been something of a catalyst for men's rights groups to rally around Depp. Depp is a world-famous and much-beloved actor. Heard published an editorial in the Washington Post in which she alluded to ab*se she had experienced but avoided mentioning Depp. Johnny Depp and Amber Heard attend the UK Premiere of "Mortdecai" at Empire Leicester Square on January 19, 2015 in London, England. Ms. Heards lawyers say she will outline the physical, sexual and emotional abuse he inflicted on her when she testifies (she had not yet taken the stand as I wrote this). Thursday, he admitted that he had assaulted a couple of cabinets.. Closing arguments in the case are expected to begin this Friday. There is enough evidence to support Johnny Depp 's $50 million claim of defamation. Johnny Depp had sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million, arguing that she defamed him when she called herself "a public figure representing domestic abuse" in a newspaper opinion. The publication had described him as a "wife-beater.". This story has been shared 100,343 times. "Right now, [Depp's] team is alleging that if a woman comes forward and identifies as a survivor in public, that that could count as defamation.". A judge, evaluating 14 incidents of Depps alleged abuse of Heard, found that 12 of them had occurred and concluded that The Suns words were substantially true., Now Depp is suing Heard in Virginia for $50 million, saying that she defamed him when she described herself, in a Washington Post opinion essay that didnt mention Depp, as a public figure representing domestic abuse. His case seems absurd, since even if he were entirely innocent, the British verdict was well known, and Heard was referring to what she symbolized, not what she allegedly endured. The actress also described incidents in which Depp slapped her multiple times, pinned her against a wall and choked her, and did a "cavity search" on her while looking for his cocaine. Johnny Depp alleges Amber Heard hit him repeatedly, details finger-disfiguring fight April 20, 2022 Rhetorical contortions aside, it seems that both Depp and Heard have anger issues. Amber Heard is seen inside the courtroom during the $50 million Depp vs Heard defamation trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Court April 12, 2022, in Fairfax, Virginia. Sign up today. Johnny Depp has lost his court case against a British tabloid that labelled the actor a "wife beater." The judge said he believed the claims were "substantially true." According to a Statistics. The "Aquaman" actress, 36, took the witness stand in a Fairfax, Virginia, courtroom for the first time Wednesday after the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor, 58, completed his testimony on Tuesday. Amber Heard testifies that Johnny Depp hit her on May 4, 2022. Our weekly mental wellness newsletter can help. How much more himpathy is afforded Mr. Depp because hes the Captain Jack Sparrow and Edward Scissorhands of childhood dreams? And in the op-ed, she wrote that she was scared to go public with this information because of all the public scrutiny she'd face and the possible roles she'd lose out on. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely her own. This, of course, doesnt mean that women are the victims and men the perpetrators in every single case. EDITORS NOTE: Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. I think for Johnny Depp, winning the legal side of the defamation claim does not matter to him, Lizardo told The Post. (Samuel Corum/AFP), She added that attorneys often advise women not to wear "black in the courtroom. The problem of choosing facts to believe is not confined to celebrities. There is a still a group of women out there, a group of supporters and people who believe that she is righteous for coming out with her voice and her truth and strong enough to sit there and take the public abuse and humiliation during the course of the trial, Engelmayer said. Based on Depps testimony and graphic, violent text messages that he sent about Heard, which were presented at the trial, he also seems to revel in misogynist violent fantasies. Have a look at social. ", TOP 5 TAKEAWAYS FROM JOHNNY DEPP DEFAMATION TRIAL, She said he shoved his fingers insider her. Heard did not name Depp in the Post essay, but Depp says his professional reputation was hurt nonetheless. ", JOHNNY DEPP V. AMBER HEARD: THE SHOCKING TRIAL'S WILDEST MOMENTS. So this was back in 2018. Johnny Depp, 58, is suing ex-wife Amber Heard for US$50 million (NZ$76.5m), claiming she defamed him in her 2018 Washinton Post op-ed where she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse . The current chapter of their domestic warfare is taking place in a Fairfax County, Va., courtroom, where Depps defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Heard is unfolding before a jury of seven. "[T]he question is, was he abusive with Amber? Online, theres a level of industrial-scale bullying directed at Heard that puts all previous social media pile-ons to shame. Trial watchers obsess over the tiniest details to claim that Heard is a drug user and therefore untrustworthy. Johnny Depp looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. He went into this knowing that all of this was going to come out, Ahouraian said. Although she did not identify Depp in her op-ed, he sued Heard for damaging his personal and professional life. Women dont have to be believed. However, there was a subsequent outpouring of support from Twitter users who pointed out systemic disbelief of women who come forward with stories of abuse. "Absolutely, it's already happening," said Bedera. There are ambiguities in the sordid conflict between the divorced actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, but some things are clear. We also know that one of the best ways to stem this epidemic is through prevention, which requires educating our children very early in their lives about the power of consent and how to conduct healthy relationships. While Depp is not named in Heard's piece, his legal team insists that it is strongly inferred that the article is about him. Some of them are obsessive Depp fans; as Kaitlyn Tiffany wrote in The Atlantic, theres a history of online communities fixating on theories that the male objects of their fandom were being manipulated and tortured by less-famous, female romantic partners.. Countless videos skewer Heard on TikTok; the NSync member Lance Bass joined in the trend of mockingly re-enacting her testimony. What these accusations have done, Depp claims, is hurt his career. In 1994, he trashed a $1,200-a-night Manhattan hotel room he shared with then-girlfriend Kate Moss and paid nearly $10,000 for the damage. She is countersuing. Depp is suing Heard for defamation after she stated in a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post that she had become a public figure representing domestic abuse. You don't want to feel like you're a bad person if you continue to like Pirates Of The Caribbean.". Amber Heard enters the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. One month after tying the knot, according to Depps lawsuit against Heard, she threw a vodka bottle at him in Australia. Their tumultuous short-lived marriage has resulted in years of acrimony and courtroom drama spanning two continents. On Weekend Edition Sunday, sociologist Nicole Bedera, who specializes in sexual violence, spoke to NPR about the trial and its implications for discussions about intimate partner violence and why social media seems to have far more sympathy for the former Pirates of the Caribbean star than for his ex-wife. LIMBONG: So after the verdict, she posted a statement on Instagram saying she was heartbroken and disappointed, you know, not just for her own case but for what it means for other women. Depps former lawyer characterized Heards claims as an abuse hoax. Maybe, maybe not. Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. And even Depps daughter is being targeted for online abuse by Depp fans who believe she is insufficiently supportive of her dad. Engelmayer also said he believes Heard could still continue her career after the trial with studios that want to be on the right side of social history giving her roles in smaller films. Its OK to not know the answer to a question as complicated as what happened inside the Depp-Heard relationship. I felt as though I was on trial in the court of public opinion. Perhaps she was, but writing an op-ed in The Washington Post is not exactly the way to reclaim ones privacy. Both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard admit that there was violence in this relationship. While Depp was not named in the article, his lawyers argue that Heard's implication is obvious. Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard was one of the biggest pop culture moments of 2022, and in the midst of his legal battle, he issued a warning about cancel culture, saying: When you look at this parroting of how they're dressed alike, this definitely is a power-play between the two of them. Right now I think its undisputed that the court of public opinion favors him and heard him and are now supporting him. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor accused Heard of indirectly defaming him by referencing allegations she made against him amid their divorce. The trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard shows how bias impacts moral judgement. Heard has admitted hitting Depp, and has been recorded insulting and belittling him. Johnny Depp, left, and Amber Heard arrive for the European premiere of their 2011 film, The Rum Diary, in London. On Tuesday, the actor's legal team rested their case after 13 days of testimony as Depp says Amber Heard ruined . Juda Engelmayer, the president of public relations firm Herald PR who reps disgraced filmmaker Harvey Weinstein, agreed that the fact that the trial was televised was a loss for Heard in the public and suited Depp well as a natural entertainer. MARTINEZ: OK. Tell us more about the op-ed that Amber Heard wrote that started this whole thing. Not literally, of course: I could look away if I chose. We can all agree that the trial of Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard is a unique and cultural moment. And, in the meantime, domestic violence victims and abusers alike are watching this play out. Johnny Depp looks on in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 3, 2022. Some. If you want to know what mutually assured destruction looks like, forget about Russia vs. Ukraine for a minute and check out the spectacle of Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard. 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