Amber Heard’s life “has become hell” since the start of the defamation lawsuit brought by her ex-husband Johnny Depp, the actress’ lawyer said on Friday, asking the jury of the court in Fairfax, near Washington , to “let her go on with her life”.
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“This trial has made his life a living hell. We want nothing else (than) to leave Amber alone, to let her continue her life and raise her child,” said Elaine Bredehoft, presenting her conclusions after six weeks of debate.
The star of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” saga is suing his ex-wife for defamation, who wrote in a column published by the Washington Post in 2018 to be “a public figure representing domestic violence”, without naming Johnny Depp.
The actor is seeking $50 million in damages, claiming the platform destroyed his career and reputation.
Amber Heard, who appeared in particular in “Justice League” and “Aquaman”, counterattacked and asked for the double. According to her, this “futile” complaint prolongs “the abuse and harassment” she says she suffered during her relationship with Johnny Depp.
“If Amber has suffered a single assault, she wins,” said another lawyer, Ben Rottenborn, after listing the couple’s various disputes in five years of relationship, some of which, according to the actress, degenerated into violence.
“And we’re not talking about physical assault, but emotional, psychological, financial, sexual assault,” he said.
“Freedom of expression”
“Think of the message that Mr. Depp and his lawyers send to Amber, and by extension to every victim of domestic violence,” he added, referring to the Washington Post column.
“This lawsuit is about a lot more than Johnny Depp v Amber Heard, it’s about free speech. Defend it, protect it,” he told the jurors.
The actor’s lawyers have endeavored to denounce the “lies” of Amber Heard, who wanted to “ruin” her husband.
“Six years ago to the day, on May 27, 2016, Ms. Heard walked into court and filed a false domestic violence complaint against her husband of 15 months,” said Camille Vasquez.
Another of his lawyers, Ben Chew, recalled that “never before Amber Heard had a woman accused Mr. Depp of laying a hand on her in 58 years, and none have done so since”.
Johnny Depp “lost everything” and was “deleted by Hollywood” after the column published by his ex-girlfriend, he said.
While she didn’t name her ex-husband, “everyone knew who and what” Amber Heard was talking about, Ben Chew noted, noting that the actor “supports and believes in” the Me Too movement, which denounces violence against women.
The two parties must conclude in the afternoon. The seven jurors will then retire to deliberate. If they do not agree on a verdict, they will return on Tuesday, Monday being a holiday in the United States.
Death threats
Since April 11, the jury has heard dozens of hours of testimonies and audio or video recordings that described a couple far removed from the glamor of Hollywood, revealing shocking details of their life together.
The actress said that Johnny Depp became a “monster” under the influence of an explosive cocktail of drugs and alcohol, resisting all his pleas for treatment.
When she left him in May 2016, she says she became the target of a social media smear campaign that wiped out her career.
She said she was “harassed” and “threatened every day” since the start of the trial, claiming to have received “thousands” of death threats.
Johnny Depp can count on the support of hundreds of admirers who cheer him on every day in court.
According to the 36-year-old actress, the violence reached its climax during a rape with a bottle of alcohol in March 2015, a month after their marriage, when the actor was filming episode 5 of the “Pirates” in Australia.
That day, Johnny Depp had the end of a finger severed and was hospitalized. He claims it was caused by a splinter from a bottle thrown by Amber Heard. She says he hurt himself.
The comedian has already lost a first defamation lawsuit in London in 2020, against the tabloid The Sun, which called him an “abusive husband”.
The two actors, who divorced in 2017, claim to have lost between 40 and 50 million dollars in fees since the publication of the tribune.