Johnny Depp's Team Rest Case Against Amber Heard In $50 Million Defamation Trial

Johnny Depp’s team have rested their case, marking a significant point in his $50 million trial in Virginia against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Depp claims that Heard defamed him in a 2018 piece she wrote for the Washington Post accusing him of domestic violence.

Whilst Depp isn’t mentioned by name in the piece, he claims that he struggled to find work after the piece was published.

Heard is counter suing for $100 million.

Depp’s team has been presenting their case for several days now, but today (3 May), it emerged that Heard’s team has moved to dismiss the case.

The move to strike the case is a matter of procedure and Judge Penny Azcarate will decide whether to accept, refuse, or deliberate over the request.

Alamy

The aim of this – a common feature in cases such as this one - is to maintain Heard’s appellate rights going forward.

So far, Depp’s agent has described the consequences of the 2018 Post article as ‘catastrophic’ and argued that it cost Depp years of work, as well as his place in a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film.

Depp’s agent Jack Whigham gave evidence today in which he said that Depp was set to continue his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the hugely successful Jerry Bruckheimer franchise and would have made $22.5 million from the movie.

Of the article, he said: “With respect to Johnny, it was catastrophic because it was coming from a first-person account, it was not from a journalist, not someone observing, it was from someone saying this happened to me.”

He also claimed that Depp’s film Minamata was hit by the reputational damage suffered by Depp because of Heard’s words.

“The op-ed came out in December right as we were going on Christmas break,” he said.

“Minamata was supposed to start (shooting) in January. It was very, very difficult to keep Minamata together.

“The financing became shaky, Johnny's fee came down in order to save the movie.”

Alamy

An expert witness also said that Depp could have lost $40 million in work because of the piece.

However, the court has also heard that Depp was prone to angry outbursts had problems with substance misuse.

Depp’s team have argued that Heard suffers from personality disorders, and it is expected that the Aquaman star’s defence will begin with a psychologist who is expected to refute those claims.

The case rests on Depp’s team proving that there was ‘actual malice’ on Heard’s part.

Heard’s team will have their chance to present their case tomorrow (4 May).