Johnny Depp VS Amber Heard: What Will Happen During Their Upcoming Defamation Trial?
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will finally have a legal showdown again following the damaging libel case between the actor and The Sun.
Starting April 11, the Fairfax County Circuit Court will hear the two Hollywood stars' defenses related to the defamation case. The trial is expected to last until the last week of May, and many people expect it to garner attention internationally.
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor is seeking $50 million from Heard due to the op-ed the actress penned for The Washington Post in 2018. The piece, where she talked about domestic violence, reportedly caused Depp to lose his titular roles, including Captain Jack Sparrow in "The Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and Gellert Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts."
Ahead of the trial, experts weighed in and shared what people should expect in the trial.
Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard's Case Is Anything But Usual
Public Information Officer for the Fairfax County Sheriff's Office, Andrea Ceisler, said that the case is something unusual.
"To my knowledge, there have not been high-profile celebrity trials in Fairfax County," she said. "Criminal trials that garnered national attention concerned the D.C.-area snipers in 2002 and the 1993 shootings at CIA headquarters."
Judge Penney Azcarate, who will be presiding over the trial, has approved and issued an order last month, saying that the public will not be allowed to meet on the court's grounds. However, she noted that there would be pre-designated areas where supporters could wait, and it would be monitored by sheriff's deputies.
Court TV will reportedly televise the event until its last day.
As of this time, the list of witnesses remains unknown. But people expect Elon Musk, Paul Bettany, and James Franco to appear in person or virtually. Meanwhile, Heard might seemingly add Ellen Barkin to her list alongside the representatives from Disney and Warner Bros.
Before the legal battle, Depp had already suffered a big loss when the judge allowed Heard to utilize the state's anti-SLAPP statute. It could be followed to prevent the use and abuse of judicial processes related to people's rights to join any matters. It also allows people to access information on issues that affect them.
Depp's team, however, has since argued that the anti-SLAPP law should not cover the defamation trial due to its private nature.
With the ups and downs in the trial, people find it hard to determine who will win this time.
