Johnny Depp is expected to take the stand in a Virginia court Tuesday afternoon to testify in his defamation case against his ex-wife, actor Amber Heard. Depp is suing Heard for more than $50 million, saying her claims of domestic abuse have harmed his career and reputation.
Heard, 35, has filed a countersuit against Depp, 58, seeking $100 million in damages and saying his legal team falsely accused her of fabricating claims against Depp.
The jury trial at a county courthouse in Fairfax, Va., just outside of Washington, D.C., has generated intense interest, prompting Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate to issue detailed orders for journalists and spectators — including a ban on camping out on the grounds of the judicial complex.
Aside from the formerly married movie stars, the case could potentially draw appearances from actors Paul Bettany and James Franco, as well as Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Depp is suing Heard for three counts of defamation, citing her op-ed that was published on The Washington Post website and in its print newspaper, as well as Heard's posting a link to the piece via her Twitter account.
Depp is seeking at least $50 million in compensatory damages and a punitive award of at least $350,000, along with attorneys' fees and court costs.
So far, witnesses have testified about alcohol and drug use by Depp and Heard, and they've been questioned about the fights between the former couple. Depp's sister, Christi Dembrowski, and a longtime...
A front-page article with the byline of veteran New York Times opinion writer Nicholas Kristof is the latest poisonous example of what I call the NGO “halo effect.” Headlined “The Silence That Mee...