What's next in Depp v Heard trial: When will jury return, verdict date and what to expect
The jury in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial case will now be tasked with reviewing whether one of them defamed the other through their contesting narratives of domestic abuse. Over the past six weeks in the Fairfax County, Virginia courthouse, lawyers for Depp and Heard each argued why the other was wrong.
During the course of the trial Depp gave explosive testimony insisting that Heard belittled him for his age and even threw a glass vodka bottle at his hand, severing the tip of his right middle finger. Heard also made some shocking allegations against her ex-husband saying that Depp sexually assaulted her with his fingers and with a bottle, and claimed that his own rage and jealousy was fueled by nightlong cocaine and alcohol binges. The trial probed deep into each parties' lives, exposing details about their financial lives and childhood physical abuse and more. Camille Vasquez and Ben the duo made their concluding arguments on Friday, May 27, and according to the presiding judge, Penney Azcarate, there are certain facts the jury must unanimously decide are "more likely than not" true in order to decide liability. Here's all you need to know about what will happen next in the celeb trial.
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What's next in the Depp v Heard trial?
The case is being delivered to the jury after six weeks of testimony. The jury must decide on Depp's $50 million suit, as well as Heard's $100 million countersuit.
What to expect from the jury in Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial?
Now that closing arguments have concluded, we can expect jury deliberations to begin. It is up to the jurors to weigh the defamation components now. Both suits must be decided on by the jury concurrently, which means it can find both Depp and Heard guilty, only one of them guilty or both not guilty. How much money they will determine to award either plaintiff is unclear.
For Depp to win his claim against Heard, jurors need to determine if some parts mentioned in the Washington Post op-ed were made by Heard about Depp, were false, and were made with "actual malice." The "actual malice" means that the jury must find Heard made them knowing they were false, or with "reckless disregard" for the truth. In Heard's case against Depp, jurors are looking at statements made by Adam Waldman, a former lawyer for Depp who has claimed Heard's allegations of abuse were a hoax. Jurors need to determine that Waldman's allegations were made as part of his role as Depp's "agent," whether they're about Heard, whether they're false, and whether they were made with "actual malice."
There is also the possibility that the jury could find both or neither side liable, arriving at a conclusion that does not adopt either side's narrative. It is to be noted Depp previously lost a defamation case against The Sun, which called him a "wife beater" because of Heard's allegations.
When will jury return for deliberations?
Azcarate said jurors may continue deliberating into Friday, May 27, night "within reason." If they don't reach a verdict on Friday, it is likely that the jury will resume deliberations on Tuesday, May 31, following the Memorial Day weekend. While the verdict date has not been revealed yet, it is not expected until the end of the month or the start of June.
Where and how to watch conclusion of Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial?
One can watch the trial on Law & Crime Trial Network, and it can also be watched live for free with Philo (free trial), or with fuboTV (free trial, plus the News Plus add-on). Those out of free trials can also watch it live with Sling (promotional offers, plus the News Extra add-on).
Depp and Heard are squaring off over a 2018 op-ed Heard wrote for the Washington Post, where she called herself a domestic violence survivor. Depp has claimed that he was booted from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise because Heard's op-ed clearly implicated that he was the abuser. The article, however, did not mention Depp by name. The actor sued for $50 million and Heard countersued for $100 million, claiming Depp ran a smear campaign for years in an attempt to silence her and destroy her acting career. Until the last few days of the trial Heard did not admit that the op-ed she wrote was about Depp.
Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez brutally grilled Heard yet again on the stand on Thursday, May 26. "Your lies have been exposed to the world multiple times?" Vasquez told the 'Aquaman' actress. "I haven't lied about anything," responded Heard. In an unexpected twist to the story, and perhaps one that Team Johnny had been waiting for, Heard seemed to admit on the stand that she indeed wrote her op-ed about Depp.
In her closing arguments, which fans have hailed, Vasquez told the jury, "Either you believe all of it, or you believe none of it," Vasquez said. "Either she's telling the truth, including in her most extreme allegations, or she's lying. Either she was raped by a bottle, or she's the sort of person who would get on the stand in this courtroom and lie to you and the world about it. You can't find that Mr. Depp hit her once. Either he hit her countless times. Or you can't believe a single word that comes out of her mouth."
Heard's lawyer, on the other hand, said ruling against the actress would send a terrible message to domestic violence victims. "A ruling against Amber sends a message that no matter what you do as an abuse victim, you always have to do more," Ben Rottenborn said. "Don't send that message." "This trial is about so much more than Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard. It's about the freedom of speech, and stand up, protect it and reject Mr. Depp's claims against Amber," Rottenborn added.