The soap opera that keeps America in suspense is coming to an end. The lawyers of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp present their conclusions, Friday, May 27. It is their last opportunity to convince the jury of an ultra-mediatized trial in the United States which revealed the most scabrous details of the relationship between the two actors. Lhe culmination of six weeks of debates and dozens of hours of testimony broadcast live on television. Lhe seven jurors will retire on Friday afternoon to deliberate. If they do not agree on a verdict, they will return on Tuesday, Monday being a public holiday in the United States.
> Johnny Depp against Amber Heard: what did we learn halfway through the chaotic trial between the ex-spouses?
This trial has had a major impact, especially on social networks. The celebrity of the people concerned is not the only explanation. The television broadcast propelled the various testimonies into the public sphere, followed in the manner of a series. Franceinfo explains to you why this affair has fascinated America for more than a month.
Celebrities at the helm
The passions unleashed by this trial in the United States can be explained above all by the notoriety of the protagonists. Johnny Depp, 58 years old, is particularly known to the general public for his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow, main character of Pirates of the Caribbean, the saga produced by Disney. According to his former wealth manager Joel Mandel, questioned at the trial on Thursday May 19, Johnny Depp would have earned around 600 million dollars between 1999 and 2016, the year in which the manager was sacked. Amber Heard is much less known. This 36-year-old Texan has starred in big Hollywood productions like Aquaman in 2018.
But these are not the only stars in the credits of this lawsuit. Kate Moss, iconic British supermodel of the 1990s, was invited by the court to speak by videoconference on Wednesday May 25. In a relationship with Johnny Depp between 1994 and 1998, she swept aside the rumors according to which the latter would have pushed her down a staircase during their relationship, rumor mentioned by Amber Heard during her deposition on May 5.
A breakup that ends in court
The mutual accusations are heavy and contradictory in this trial, recordings and text messages drawing a toxic relationship between the two actors. Johnny Depp accuses his ex-wife of having ruined his reputation with a column published in 2018 in the washington postwhere she was claimed to have become “a public figure representing domestic violence”without naming Johnny Depp.
The actor sued for defamation and is seeking $50 million in damages. In response, Amber Heard asked for the double, accusing her ex-husband of having desired “ruin his career”. The actor’s attorneys say he also lost nearly $40 million after the domestic abuse charges. Kathryn Arnold, Entertainment industry specialist interviewed Monday, May 23, estimates for his part that Amber Heard lost between 45 and 50 million dollars in stamps and promotional campaigns.
Amber Heard claims to have suffered years of violence, regular beatings, photo of swollen face in support. She assures that the actor, under the influence of drugs, raped her in 2015 by penetrating her with a bottle of alcohol, after having cut the end of his finger by smashing a telephone. For his part, thehe actor denies having ever raised a hand on his ex-wife, and retorts that it was she who was violent, and in particular threw the bottle at him, injuring him in the end of the finger. “Many times I had to use my body to defend myself, and that included hitting where I could if it allowed me to escape”recognized Amber Heard at the helm, on May 17.
Scandalous details revealed live on TV
Every day, hundreds of fans wait for the actor in court in Fairfax, near Washington, and face a handful of signs supporting Amber Heard. “It’s like a soap opera”told AFP one of these curious, Nancy Mowery, who came from Pennsylvania and who spent the night in court to attend the hearing.
But if this trial arouses so much interest, it is mainly because it is broadcast live on television and online on the specialized channel Court TV. Contrary to French law, trials can be recorded and broadcast live since 1959 in the United States. Journalists scrutinize and analyze up to the gestures and the way of expressing each part: from the tears of Amber Heard to the lowered eyes of Johnny Depp.
The rawest details of the case are brought up for all to see. Johnny Depp thus described his heavy consumption of alcohol and drugs. He accused his ex-wife of having defecated in the marital bed after an argument on the day of the actress’s 30th birthday in April 2016, charges which the person disputes, specifying that it was about “delusional thoughts” and that the excrement belonged to the couple’s dog, reports the Los Angeles Times.
A lawsuit that tears social networks apart
The case also fascinates Twitter and TikTok. Internet users take sides, making fun of Amber Heard’s speech. On these two social networks, the hashtag “Justice for Johnny Depp” far exceeded the hashtag “I am with Amber Heard” – 15.3 billion views against 8.4 million –, Tuesday May 24.
Network attacks are nothing new. Already in 2016, Amber Heard was treated there as “liar”of “manipulative” or of “Devil”, as she filed for divorce. You have to go back to 2012 to observe the first reviews. In the same way that Angelina Jolie had been the target of attacks after the separation of Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Amber Heard was targeted when Johnny Depp separated from Vanessa Paradis, his partner for fourteen years. The singer did not testify at trial. She had nevertheless supported her ex-husband during another defamation trial in 2020, in England. Johnny Depp had then lost against the newspaper The Sun, who called him “husband violent towards Amber Heard”.