Johnny Depp is expected to testify today in his $50m (£38.2m) defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard at Fairfax county court in Virginia, according to reports.
Depp is suing ex-wife Heard alleging defamation and damage to his Hollywood career as a result of her op-ed in 2018 in The Washington Post, in which she alluded to being abused by the Pirates of the Caribbean actor without naming him directly.
Heard countersued her ex-husband for double the amount, accusing him of allegedly orchestrating a “smear campaign” against her and describing his own lawsuit as a continuation of “abuse and harassment”.
The Oscar-nominated actor will begin his testimony on Tuesday (19 April), CourtTV reported, and will return to the stand on Wednesday (20 April) to be cross-examined by Heard’s attorneys, according to Deadline.
The publication reported that sound technician Keenan Wyatt will also take the stand on Tuesday, appearing on behalf of long-time friend Depp.
Tesla boss Elon Musk and actors James Franco and Paul Bettany are also expected to testify before the Virginia courthouse in the high-profile trial, marked by shocking allegations of assault and abuse by both Depp as well as Heard.
The pair, who first met in 2009 on the set ofThe Rum Diary, got married in 2015. Heard filed for divorce from Depp the following year when she sought a domestic violence restraining order, accusing Depp of abusing her.
Proceedings started on 11 April with jury selection, as seven jurors and four alternates were picked. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday saw the first witnesses take the stand, either in person or via video testimony.
Witnesses have included Depp and Heard’s former marriage counselor, Depp’s sister, some of his friends, and Heard’s former assistant.
Last week, the couple’s marriage therapist Dr Laurel Anderson said the couple “engaged in mutual abuse” during the course of their relationship.
Here’s a breakdown of everything that’s happened in the six-week trial so far.
