Johnny Depp’s lawyers began their final arguments in a Virginia courtroom on Friday in their $50 million defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard, alleging the stakes were skyrocketing.
Not only “a man’s good name” but “a man’s life” hang in the balance, according to Camille Vasquez, advocate for the condescending style of online questioning by Depp fans used in cross-examination with Heard.
Depp says Heard lied about him in a 2018 Washington Post editorial in which he described himself as a survivor of domestic violence, which earned him multimillion-dollar film deals, including the sixth installment of “Pirates of the Caribbean.” suffered defeat.
Although the editorial did not name Depp, his team says it was entirely clear the passage they referenced, noting that it refers to the year Heard issued a temporary restraining order against her then-husband. Received.
“On 27 May 2016, Ms. Heard went to a courthouse in Los Angeles, California to obtain an ex parte restraining order against Mr. Depp, and in doing so, ruined her life by falsely telling the world that she was Mr. Depp’s. She was a survivor of domestic abuse,” Vasquez began his argument before the jury, noting that it has been six years since today.
“As you probably know by now, my name is Camille Vasquez,” she told the courtroom.
Heard has defended his claims and is suing Depp for $100 million.
Between Vasquez and attorney Benjamin Chew, Depp’s team dutifully summarized the evidence presented to the jury during the six-week trial. He replayed some audio and visual highlights, including a clip of Heard saying, “Babe, you ain’t got punched. I was punching you.” The evidence portrayed Heard as an unfair person who was “violent, abusive”. [and] cruel to Depp”, while according to Vasquez, he was “never” physically violent in response.
Vasquez said of Heard, “he is a deeply troubled man, violently afraid of abandonment, desperate for approval,” reminiscent of the testimony of a psychiatrist hired by Depp, who claimed That Hurd has borderline personality disorder. A mental health professional hired by Heard testified that she suffered from PTSD because of her relationship with Depp.
Chew told the jury that in the wake of the #MeToo movement, domestic abuse is the “worst thing” you can accuse against a man he supported Depp.
The Hollywood couple separated in 2016 and the terms of their divorce were finalized in early 2017. While Hurd had pledged to split his $7 million settlement between two causes — the ACLU and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles — testimony at trial indicated that he had donated only a portion. of money, as Vasquez reminded the jury. Casting doubts on Heard’s credibility, she played a clip in which Heard claimed she had donated the entire amount in an on-camera interview.
Depp’s team downplays the evidence presented against their client, including a secretly recorded video clip of Heard showing the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star hitting cabinets and giving himself a can of red wine. Shown while pouring a large glass.
Heard’s team will have two hours to present their final arguments before the jury leaves for deliberations.
