Depp says it is ‘insane’ to hear ‘heinous’ accusations of sexual violence from Heard
WARNING: This live blog contains allegations of physical and sexual violence that some readers may find distressing.
Johnny Depp’s rebuttal case in the defamation trial of his ex-wife Amber Heard is close to concluding at the court in Fairfax, Virginia.
Heard is being sued by Depp for $50m for implying he abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. Although she didn’t name him, he claims her allegations impacted his ability to work. She is pursuing a counterclaim of $100m, of which a motion to dismiss was denied by Judge Penney Azcarate.
The rebuttal case for the counterclaim will be heard on Thursday, and closing arguments are scheduled for Friday before the jury deliberates.
On Wednesday, supermodel and Depp-ex Kate Moss testified the actor did not push her down some stairs in the 1990s as had been rumoured and mentioned in testimony. Heard’s team hit back following her testimony.
Depp returned to the stand and denied knowledge of his attorney’s defamatory statements about his ex-wife. The actor called her allegations of abuse “unimaginably brutal, cruel, and all false”.
Later, graphic texts written by the actor about Heard were shown to the court and there were tense exchanges with counsel.
