“We ask you to bring Mr. Depp back to life by telling the world that Mr. Depp is not the aggressor Mrs. Heard says he is,” Vasquez said.
Actor Amber Heard testifies in court. Credit: AP
Listening to attorney Benjamin Rottenborn, in his final argument, reminded jurors of Depp’s explicit text messages to friends or associates.
In one, Depp told Heard a “dirty bitch” and said he wanted her dead and “fucked up his burnt corpse.”
“This is a window into the heart and mind of America’s favorite pirate,” Rottenborn said. “This is the real Johnny Depp.”
At the heart of the legal case is Heard’s December 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post, in which he made a statement about domestic abuse. The article never mentioned Depp by name, but his lawyer told jurors it was clear Heard was referring to him.
Heard’s lawyers argued that she had told the truth and that her comments were covered by freedom of expression under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
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“Your key question to answer is‘ Does the First Amendment give Ms. Heard the right to write the words she wrote? ’Rottenborn told the jury. Depp “.
Depp and Heard met in 2011 while filming The Rum Diary and were married in February 2015. Their divorce materialized about two years later.
For six weeks of proceedings, jurors listened to recordings of the former couple’s fights and saw graphic photos of Depp’s bleeding finger.
Actor Johnny Depp shows how he claims to have protected himself from an alleged attack by his then-wife Amber Heard. Credit: AP
Depp said Heard threw a bottle of vodka that cut off her fingertip during an argument in 2015. Heard denied allegedly injuring Depp’s finger and said Depp sexually assaulted her that night with a bottle of liquor.
The testimony was widely broadcast live on social media, attracting a large audience to hear details about the couple’s problematic relationship.
Once among Hollywood’s biggest stars, Depp said Heard’s accusations cost him “everything.” A new Pirates movie was suspended and Depp was replaced in the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise, a Harry Potter spin-off.
Depp lost a defamation case less than two years ago against The Sun, a British tabloid that called him a “female hitter”. A London High Court judge ruled that he had repeatedly assaulted Heard.
Depp’s lawyers filed the U.S. case in Fairfax County, Virginia, because the Washington Post is printed there. The newspaper is not a defendant.
Reuters
National counseling line on sexual assault, domestic and domestic violence: 1800 737 732. Crisis assistance can be found at Lifeline: (13 11 14 and lifeline.org.au)
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