10 Witnesses Who Could Help Amber Heard in Defamation Trial – But Some Already Sit Out
Amber Heard will take the stand and become the first witness in her party once the A-list defamation trial resumes.
Viewers of the live defamation trial between Heard and Johnny Depp already perceived the testimonies of the actor and his witnesses. If the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor does not offer another major revelation this week, Heard can take the stand as early as Monday.
The "Aquaman" actress is countersuing Depp's $50 million defamation case with a $100 million case, and she has been preparing to share her story after keeping her silence for the past three weeks.
"It's hard to see how Amber won't prove to be a highly effective weapon against Depp in her own advocacy. Regardless of how they have tried to characterize her, she has been nothing but well composed and pretty conservative in court without having said a word," a source said, per Deadline.
Aside from Heard, several high-profile celebrities and people close to the actress were expected to take the stand. However, some of them have since quit and refused to get themselves involved in the trial.
As of this time, the list of Heard's witnesses remains unclear. But here are the potential stars who could testify against Depp.
Bryan Lourd
American talent agent, Bryan Lourd, might reportedly join the trial to testify and bring out his e-mail exchanges with the actress to help her in the defamation case.
Companies of Johnny Depp's Films, Disney and Warner Bros.
The homes of Depp's hit films "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Fantastic Beasts" could play a huge role in the case. There have been reports that the two companies knew about the actor's alleged troubling behavior on set, and they might involve themselves by sharing the accounts about Depp's reported drinking issues.
Ellen Barkin
Barkin previously testified in Depp's libel case trial in the U.K. At that time, she claimed that the actor once threw a wine bottle at her head when they were still dating. Depp has since hit back and said she held a grudge against him following their breakup.
Elon Musk
Initial plans include the now-Twitter owner, Elon Musk, to testify via WebEx video link. But multiple news outlets revealed that he is no longer expected to join the trial. He had a brief relationship with Heard after her divorce from Depp.
iO Tillet Wright
Wright remains best friends with Heard, but he has already cut ties with Depp due to his alleged extreme behavior. He reportedly called 911 after a domestic violence incident caused by the actor. In his essay for Refinery29, he revealed that he only called 911 since he wanted to "call out" his brother.
James Franco
Like Musk, Franco was also set to appear in the trial via WebEx video link but decided to sit out, as well.
Depp accused Heard of having an affair with Franco during their marriage. A May 2016 footage also showed Heard and Franco entering and exiting an elevator on the same floor where Heard and the actress lived. He was tapped to testify whether he saw Heard's alleged black eye after a fight with Depp.
James Wan
Despite not being involved directly in the case, the "Aquaman" director also got involved in the legal drama since he decided to keep the actress in the film despite people's petition.
Jason Momoa
Like James Wan, Momoa got roped into the trial. Initial reports said that text messages between him and Heard would be presented to the court. However, the actor seemingly showed his neutrality already by recently following Depp. Fans also assume that it might signify that the actor believes Depp.
Kristy Sexton
Heard reportedly told her acting coach, Sexton, that Depp would not let her leave him. Sexton's testimony was presented at the London's High Court, claiming that the actress told her that her then-husband was jealous and concerned about Franco being near her.
Sexton also claimed that the actor was not okay with Heard taking roles involving intimate scenes and violence.
Racquel Rose Pennington
Pennington, a former neighbor of Heard, claimed that she witnessed Depp throwing a phone at her during a May 21 incident. She also reportedly tried to protect the actress from him by covering her with her body.
