Years of allegations about brutal domestic violence and career-destroying lies came to a head on Friday.
Lawyers for Johnny Depp ended their defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, on Friday by calling her a habitual liar who ruined their client’s life with career-destroying claims of physical violence.
Despite audio and eyewitness testimony pointing to Depp having a penchant for just that, they even doubled down on the allegation at the heart of Heard’s counterclaim: that the actress perpetrated an elaborate “hoax” in which the defamation trial was the last act.
In closing arguments, Depp’s lawyer, Camille Vasquez, said Heard came to court with “extravagant, over-the-top allegations of abuse” in order to claim that she, not Depp, had been defamed.
“Make no mistake, though, they are a hoax,” Vasquez, told jurors. “Ms. Heard made up claims of abuse and then she gave a dramatic performance where she passionately repeated those made-up claims on the stand in front of each of you.”
Heard’s lawyers previously used their own closing arguments to paint Depp as a serial physical, sexual, and psychological abuser. And they suggested that by savagely assailing her character, he and his camp were effectively going after all victims of domestic violence.
“Think about the message Mr. Depp and his attorneys are sending to Amber and by extension to every victim of domestic abuse everywhere,” he said. “If you didn’t take pictures, it didn’t happen. If you did take pictures, they...
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