Amber Heard v Johnny Depp trial: Week's break will give jurors chance to sort fact from fiction
After four weeks of explosive testimony, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial is on a week-long hiatus. The exes laid all their cards on the table as they took the stand to make their case. Which narrative the jurors choose is a waiting game that fans will have to play until May 27, when lawyers deliver closing arguments.
Presiding Judge Penney Azcarate adjourned the sensational trial on Thursday, May 5, as Heard, 36, faces a $50 million defamation lawsuit brought on by her ex-husband Depp, 58. The 'Aquaman' actress is accused of defaming her ex-husband in a 2018 op-ed in which she stated she was the victim of domestic abuse. And while she didn't name Depp explicitly, his legal team has argued that the implications were obvious and damaged their client's Hollywood career. Heard has filed a counterclaim of $100 million for nuisance, with her legal team arguing her opinion piece was simply a matter of public interest.
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Heard testified that Depp began threatening her life shortly after they tied the knot. She accused her ex-husband of sexually assaulting her with a bottle of Maker's Mark while the pair was in Australia during the filming of the fifth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie. On the other hand, Depp has claimed he never laid a hand on Heard and that she was, in fact, the abuser in the relationship. He accused her of throwing a bottle of vodka at him and severing his finger in the process.
Jurors will mull the testimonies of both parties, especially the past week that saw Heard offer her account of the turbulent marriage. Depp, who has already made his case, will now see his lawyers cross-examine Heard and bring further clarity to the arguments presented to the jury. However, it's safe to say the trial is far from an open-and-shut case. “Two skilled actors on the stand as witnesses could be equally resonant without regard to exactly where the truth is in their narratives,” New Jersey lawyer Nancianne Aydelotte told The Guardian. “This is very challenging for jurors, who might find what the plaintiff said to be compelling and is then equally moved by the defendant.”
Meanwhile, PR experts are also uncertain over the repercussions of Depp’s $50m defamation claim and Heard’s $100m counter-claim. “This case should serve as a cautionary tale to high-profile people living in the public eye: when you decide to make an abuse allegation or discuss your personal life in the form of an op-ed, a televised interview, or a conversation with a reporter, you run the risk of having to publicly discuss all sorts of ugly private details,” Red Banyan's Evan Nierman told the news outlet. “It’s remarkable that Heard chose to author the op-ed that started this entire saga, and that Depp decided to pursue legal action, given that both have more skeletons in their closets than a haunted house.”
Herald PR president Juda Engelmayer believes that no matter the verdict, Depp has made significant strides in the court of public opinion. “He got to tell his narrative rather than have it be told by Heard in the Washington Post. He entertained and ended up getting a lot of people, including female audience members, on his side. That’s how he wins, whatever the verdict because he wants the world to see that he is still capable of producing fans and producing entertainment," Engelmayer said.
On the other hand, Heard's future prospects are a little more complex despite the verdict. “She was considered a hero for putting out her narrative, so now she comes out more of a hero for taking the abuse in her marriage if believed, and for taking abuse in court last week when he was entertaining, witty, taking it lightly and getting laughs," Engelmayer explained. “She’s coming off looking good also. She’s being strong, bold, and unafraid, sitting up there telling her story. She’s straightforward, and not backing away from it, and fighting for what she believes is right.”
According to the PR ace, the 'Never Back Down' star will eventually find her way back into the movies. “She’ll get recast in some films to test the waters to see if she has that moxie. She was never as big as Depp, but a lot of studios may think putting her in is a good draw for women, and for progressives who think she was strong and deserves a chance. She’ll get the roles, and the box office will tell if she can command them," Engelmayer added.