A timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's relationship and key moments from court case

Actor Johnny Depp walks into the courtroom after a break in the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard who is countersuing. (AP: Steve Helber)

The bitter court case being fought between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is entering its final days.

They're suing each other for defamation, each claiming they were abused by the other.

Here's a timeline of their relationship and some key moments in the current court case.

WARNING: This article contains disturbing content

2009: The former couple meet on set

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard met while filming The Rum Diary in 2009. The movie was released in 2011.

At the time, Mr Depp was in a relationship with French actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children. Ms Heard came out as bisexual in 2010 and was in a relationship with artist Tasya van Ree.

2012: Depp and Heard are in a relationship

Mr Depp split with Paradis after 14 years in 2012. According to court papers filed by Ms Heard, Mr Depp and Ms Heard began dating "around the end of 2011 or early 2012".

2014: The couple become engaged

Mr Depp spoke about Ms Heard in an appearance on NBC's Today, while confirming their engagement.

"She's a wonderful girl," he said, going on to call her as "sweet as can be and very good for me".

2015: Depp and Heard get married; Pistol and Boo smuggled into Australia

Mr Depp and Ms Heard tied the knot in February 2015.

In July, Ms Heard was charged with smuggling the couple's two dogs — Pistol and Boo — into Australia. She pleaded guilty to making a false customs declaration and later apologised in a video message, appearing alongside Mr Depp.

2017: Depp and Heard's divorce is finalised

Ms Heard filed for divorce in May 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.

She got a restraining order against Mr Depp, claiming he was abusive throughout their marriage. Mr Depp denies the allegations.

Ms Heard received $US7 million as part of their divorce settlement, which she said in a joint statement she would donate to charity.

In the statement the pair said "Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile but always bound by love". Their divorce is finalised in January 2017.

2018: Depp files a lawsuit against The Sun; Washington Post opinion article published

In April 2018, British tabloid The Sun published an article calling Mr Depp a "wife-beater", prompting him to file a lawsuit against the newspaper in June 2018.

In December, Ms Heard put her name to a ghost-written Washington Post op-ed in which she did not name Mr Depp but in which she wrote: "Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out."

Mr Depp sued Ms Heard for defamation in March 2019 over the article.

2020: Depp loses his case against The Sun

In November 2020, a judge sided with The Sun, upholding 12 of the 14 alleged assaults by Mr Depp against Ms Heard, saying "the great majority of alleged assaults" had been proven "to the civil standard".

2022: Defamation trial begins

Actor Johnny Depp testifies during a hearing at the Fairfax County Circuit Court. (AP: Jim Watson/Pool)

Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard for libel and is seeking a $US50 million dollar ($70 million) settlement. Ms Heard is countersuing for a $US100 million ($140 million).

The trial started in April. Here are some key moments:

• Mr Depp has testified that he never hit Ms Heard or any other woman. He said Ms Heard was the one who abused him.

• Differing accounts are offered of a 2015 fight in Australia where Mr Depp was filming the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Mr Depp said Ms Heard threw a vodka bottle that severed the top of his middle finger. He said he used blood from his injury to write on the wall. Ms Heard denied injuring Mr Depp and tearfully told the jury Mr Depp sexually assaulted her that night by inserting a liquor bottle inside her vagina.

• The court was shown photos of Ms Heard where scars are visible on her arm and there is swelling around her eye. Images said to be around the same time where no injuries are present were also shown. Ms Heard denied editing the photos showing bruising.

• Mr Depp testified that faeces were found in the couple's bed in 2016 with Ms Heard allegedly telling a security guard at the time it was "a horrible practical joke gone wrong". Ms Heard denied any involvement and suggested one of the couple's dogs was responsible.

• Audio recordings were played in court in which Ms Heard admitted hitting Mr Depp, but not punching him. Text messages were also released in which Mr Depp called Ms Heard a "filthy whore" and said he wanted her dead.

Actor Amber Heard testifies. (AP: Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool)

• A clinical and forensic psychologist hired by Mr Depp's legal team said Ms Heard had borderline histrionic personality disorders but does not have post-traumatic stress disorder. Another clinical and forensic psychologist later testified that Ms Heard does have PTSD as a result of alleged "intimate partner violence" inflicted by Mr Depp.

• Mr Depp claimed he lost lucrative movie roles as a result of Ms Heard's allegations, but a string of witnesses claimed Mr Depp's career was on a steady decline of his own making before the Washington Post article was published.

• A psychiatrist and witness for Ms Heard said Mr Depp's behaviour was consistent with narcissism.

• A judge denied a motion from Mr Depp's attorneys to dismiss Ms Heard's countersuit against him.

ABC/Wires