Elon Musk could have 'seismic' impact on Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial, so why then is he refusing to testify?
Among a huge list of Hollywood stars and agents, Elon Musk’s name is also there in the list to give evidence in the much-talked-about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s epic $100,000 million defamation trial. But as per reports, the Tesla boss won’t be present during the proceedings and under Virginia law, no one can force him to do so.
Heard has reportedly included Musk’s name along with 80 others to substantiate her allegations that the ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ had beaten and abused her during their 18-month-long marriage. However, it seems Musk has no interest in becoming a part of the legal drama, either in person or via video-link, which would be held at the Fairfax County Circuit Court. And, since the 50-year-old had never even sat down for deposition, lawyers have been left with no choice.
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Besides, Depp’s legal team had also tried to question Musk and drag him to the court over allegations that he had an affair with Heard while she was married to the actor. However, they did not get enough evidence to prove that. A source said, “Musk might be the most talked about man in the world right now and his testimony would likely have a seismic effect on any jury. But if he chooses not to get involved, there's nothing anyone can do. He may ultimately decide he's too busy building rockets and taking over Twitter.”
The defamation trial is reportedly starting on April 11 and is expected to end after two weeks. Depp and Heard would face each other over a December 2018 op-ed the actress wrote for the Washington Post, calling herself a survivor of domestic violence. In the piece, titled —- ‘I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change’ --- she penned: “Like many women, I had been harassed and sexually assaulted by the time I was of college age. But I kept quiet — I did not expect filing complaints to bring justice. And I didn’t see myself as a victim.”
She added: “Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” Though she did not directly mention Depp’s name in it, his lawyers said the essay suggested a “clear implication that Mr Depp is a domestic abuser,” which according to them is “categorically and demonstrably false”. Heard was sued for “not less than $50m”.
In response, the ‘Never Back Down’ star filed a counterclaim against her ex-husband, accusing him of traninishing her image and also alleged that the suit against her by Depp is the extension of “abuse and harassment”. She even asked for compensatory damages of $100 million.
Heard has always maintained that the infamous May 21, 2016 incident was the last nail on their tumultuous marriage. According to her, that day Depp throwed a phone in her face and tore out a bunch of hair. But the lawyers of the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor will reportedly try to prove it a “hoax” during the upcoming trial. They will also argue that it was a planning by Heard and his allies to get a $7 million divorce settlement.
Also, Depp’s legal team has alleged that the next day after their fight, Heard sent text messages to Musk and saved his number as “Rocketman”. The maverick inventor has accepted that he dated Heard but has also claimed that their relationship became serious only after the two stars divorced each other.
An insider said, “Elon Musk either saw injuries on Amber or saw that there were none in May 2016. Either way, he's been silent about what he knows for the past six years and there's little to suggest that will change. Taking the stand would open him up to all sorts of questions from Johnny's team about the timing of their relationship, whether they had an affair and so forth. He will probably decide the best course of action is to steer clear of the whole circus.”