Now in its fourth week, the Johnny Depp – Amber Heard domestic violence courtroom drama is a cautionary tale of how they ended up there 13 years after their on-set spark turned into a brief marriage that went wrong.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million (£38.2 million) for implying in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed that he abused her. Despite the fact that she did not name him, he claims her allegations made it difficult for him to get film roles.
On Tuesday, in the fourth week of proceedings at the court in Fairfax, Virginia, Depp's legal team rested their case against Heard.
Four weeks have passed since Johnny Depp's defamation trial against his former partner, Amber Heard. Mr. Depp has sued Ms. Heard for $50 million (£40 million) in retaliation for an article she wrote in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse. Ms Heard is suing for $100 million in turn.
Depp and Heard first met on the set of the 2009 film "The Rum Diary." Based on Hunter S. Thompson's book of the same name, the film stars Depp as Paul Kemp, a journalist who takes a job in Puerto Rico. Heard portrayed Chenault, who Kemp falls in love with at first sight.
Depp testified in the defamation trial about the connection he felt with Heard during a scene in which their characters kissed in the shower.
Depp and his longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children, Lily-Rose and John Christopher, divorced in 2012. According to People magazine at the time, Heard and Depp began dating in 2014 and later got engaged.
Depp and Heard married in a private ceremony in Los Angeles in 2015.
After 15 months of marriage, Heard filed for divorce. She obtained a temporary restraining order against Depp, alleging that he abused her while high on drugs and alcohol. Depp denied the allegations, and a $7 million out-of-court settlement was reached in August 2016. Heard promised to give the money to charity.
At the time, the actors issued a joint statement in which they stated, "Our relationship was intensely passionate and volatile at times, but it was always held together by love. Neither party has made false accusations in order to gain financial advantage. There was no intention of causing physical or emotional harm."
In December of 2018, Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post about the treatment of women in domestic abuse cases. She didn't even mention Depp's name.
Depp sued Heard for defamation over her Washington Post piece in 2019, claiming it cost him lucrative acting work. Heard's attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed was unsuccessful. Her $100 million countersuit is still pending.
On April 12, the trial for Depp's defamation case against Heard began in Virginia. In his opening statement, Heard's lawyer stated that Depp is "going to try to turn this case into a soap opera."
Depp has testified about his childhood experiences with an abusive mother, his struggles with substance abuse and his turbulent relationship with Heard.
In his testimony, Depp admitted that he and Heard had disagreements during their relationship, but he added, "Never did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life."
Johnny Depp, full name John Christopher Depp II, was born on June 9, 1963 in Owensboro, Kentucky, United States. He is a well-known American actor and musician known for his eclectic and outlandish film choices. As Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, he achieved perhaps his greatest success.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Depp played Captain Jack Sparrow (2003). Depp received his first Academy Award nomination for his performance, which was inspired by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. He was nominated for another Oscar the following year for his performance in Finding Neverland as Peter Pan creator James M. Barrie (2004).
Depp maintained his early musical interest by playing acoustic guitar in the film Chocolat (2000) and on the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). His guitar work has also appeared on albums by the Pogues and Oasis.
Amber Heard is an American actress. In 2008, she rose to prominence with roles in Pineapple Express and Never Back Down. Heard's most successful film to date is 2018's Aquaman, which grossed over $1 billion at the global box office.
From 2008 to 2012, Heard was in a relationship with photographer Tasya van Ree. During the relationship, Heard's last name was legally changed to Van Ree, but she reverted to her birth name in 2014.
Heard was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence in Washington state in 2009 after allegedly grabbing Van Ree and hitting her arm, but she was never charged.
The arrest was only made public during Heard's divorce proceedings from actor Johnny Depp in 2016, following which Van Ree issued a statement claiming that Heard had been "wrongfully" accused and that the incident had been "misinterpreted and over-sensationalized."
Heard dated tech entrepreneur Elon Musk for a year after her divorce from Johnny Depp, until early 2018.
Shannon Curry, PsyD, MSCP, a forensic psychologist hired by Johnny Depp's lawyers in the context of the Depp v. Heard defamation trial, diagnosed Heard with borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder, but not post-traumatic stress disorder.
