After weeks of explosive testimony and three days of deliberations in the defamation case between actors Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, the jury on Wednesday handed down a largely divided verdict in favor of Depp.
And while the jury found that each had defamed the other, Depp celebrated the verdict as a victory and Heard pleaded disappointed “beyond words.”
Here are some key moments in the trial, which included blistering allegations and domestic abuse allegations:
1) Allegations of mutual abuse
Depp sued Heard for defamation in a December 2018 opinion piece describing him as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” His lawyers said he was defamed for the article even though he never mentioned his name.
While the case was ostensibly about defamation, most of the testimony focused on whether Heard had been physically and sexually abused, as she claimed.
Heard detailed more than a dozen alleged assaults. Depp testified that he never hit Heard or any other woman. She said it was she who became abusive and “harassed” him with “degrading injuries”.
“I could start with a slap, I could start with a push, I could start throwing a remote control from the TV in my head, throwing a glass of wine in my face,” Depp said.
The couple offered different stories from a discussion in early 2015 in Australia, where Depp was filming a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Depp and Heard attend the 2015 LA premiere of The Danish Girl in Westwood, California [File: AFP]
2) The tip of the finger cut
Testimony hours during the six-week trial were spent in a horrific incident in March 2015 in Australia, where Depp was filming the fifth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Depp’s right middle finger was cut during a heated argument with Heard at his rental home.
Depp said it happened when Heard threw him a bottle of vodka.
Heard said he didn’t know how it happened, but maybe it was when he broke a wall-mounted phone. Speaking amid sobs, she also told the jury that Depp sexually assaulted her with a bottle. “I was scared,” he said. “I just married him.”
They both agreed, however, that Depp used his bloody digit to draw cryptic messages on the walls, screens, and mirrors of the home.
3) Stools in bed
Among many strange incidents cited during the trial was a story about excrement deposited one day next to Depp from the couple’s bed.
Depp said he was shown a photograph of “human feces” in bed after he and Heard argued during their 30th birthday party.
Heard tried to blame his dogs, Depp said, but “they’re teacup Yorkies, they weigh about four pounds each.”
Heard said a dog had intestinal problems after eating some of Depp’s cannabis when he was a puppy.
As for the dogs, Heard accused Depp of once grabbing one of them by the window of a moving car while “using it like an animal.”
The dog was unharmed.
4) The witnesses
Both sides presented multiple testimonies, although rumors of the testimonies of billionaire Elon Musk, Heart’s ex-boyfriend, and his co-star James Franco eventually did not materialize.
But there were celebrity appearances.
Kate Moss, Depp’s ex-girlfriend, broke a long-standing rumor that the British model had once thrown down a flight of stairs. Moss said by video link that it never happened.
Actress Ellen Barkin, another ex-girlfriend, said Depp was jealous, controlling and drunk “most of the time,” and once threw a bottle of wine into a hotel room.
Other witnesses include bodyguards, agents, business executives, doctors, friends, relatives and even the former doorman of the luxury penthouse complex where the couple once lived in Los Angeles.
Goalkeeper Alejandro Romero probably spoke to many involved in the case when he said, “I’m very stressed. I don’t want to deal with this anymore.”
Model Kate Moss, a former Depp girlfriend, testifies via a video link to Fairfax County Circuit Court [File: AP Photo]
5) The evidence
Audio and video recordings of heated and blasphemous arguments between Depp and Heard were presented as evidence.
In a video recorded by Heard in his kitchen, Depp is seen screaming, smashing glass and pouring himself a huge glass of red wine.
Both Depp and Heard sent photos of injuries claiming the other inflicted.
Heard’s lawyers also filed photos claiming to show that Depp fainted after drinking too much or using drugs.
Text messages were displayed between Depp and several people in which he described in harsh, violent language what he would like to hear from Heard.
Depp’s lawyers downplayed the texts, saying he had only one colorful way of writing, similar to that of his late friend, journalist Hunter S Thompson.
Depp’s attorney, Camille Vasquez, gives the final arguments in Fairfax County Court [File: AP Photo]
6) Fans of Depp
Depp fans lined up for hours each day to get the coveted seats in the public gallery for the trial in Fairfax, Virginia.
While the majority of the spectators behaved, Judge Penney Azcarate threatened to expel them at one point from Heard’s testimony.
“If I hear another sound, I’ll clean up the gallery,” Azcarate warned. “Understand?”
Depp fans also campaigned en masse on social media in support of the actor with the hashtag #JusticeForJohnnyDepp.
Heard said he had received thousands of death threats. “People want to kill me and they tell me every day,” he said.
The test was followed online by millions of people who tuned in to live broadcasts. Many of them generated real-time animated memes or GIFs, most often praising Depp and ridiculing Heard.
Johnny Depp’s lawyers Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez are speaking to the media after the jury announced split verdicts in favor of Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard. [File:Reuters]
7) Damaged Hollywood careers
Both Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard claimed their careers had been damaged.
Heard, who starred in Aquaman, one of the highest-grossing films in history, said she had to fight to keep a role in Aquaman 2 and alleged that Depp tried to get Warner Brothers to remove her from the sequel. .
Heard’s legal team presented an entertainment industry expert who estimated that he had suffered between $ 45 million and $ 50 million in lost papers and endorsements on film and television.
An industry expert hired by Depp’s side said it has lost millions due to allegations of abuse, including a $ 22.5 million payday for a sixth installment of Pirates.
But Tracey Jacobs, Depp’s former agent, said there was never a formal agreement for another Pirates movie.
Jacobs also said the actor’s star had begun to darken since 2010 due to “unprofessional behavior” that included drinking and drug use.
Both three-time Oscar nominee Depp and Heard claimed their careers had been damaged. [File:AP]
8) The verdict
The jury ruled that Depp was defamed by Heard in the 2018 opinion piece and awarded him more than $ 10 million in the lawsuit.
But the decision was split and they also partially ruled in favor of Heard, who said she was defamed by Depp’s lawyer when she called her allegations of domestic abuse a hoax and awarded him $ 2 million. in damage.
Heard said his heart was broken by the verdict. “I am even more disappointed with what this verdict means to other women. It is a setback. It sets the clock back to a time when a woman who spoke and spoke could be publicly humiliated,” she said in a statement posted on her account. Twitter.
Meanwhile, Depp said the jury “brought me back to life.”
“Six years ago, my life, the lives of my children, the lives of those closest to me and also the lives of people who for many, many years have supported me and believed in me changed forever,” he added. the statement. .
Actor Johnny Depp greets his fans as he leaves the Fairfax County Courthouse [File: AP Photo]