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John C. Depp, II v. Amber Laura Heard (CL-2019-2911) is a defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States that began in April 2022.

Background

In May 2016, after actor Johnny Depp indicated to his actress wife Amber Heard that he wanted a divorce, Heard attempted to obtain a restraining order against him, claiming that Depp had physically abused her. The duo divorced in 2017. In December 2018, The Washington Post published an op-ed article written by Heard that stated: "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.".

In March 2019, Depp initiated a defamation lawsuit against Heard in the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, Virginia, stating that while Heard's 2018 op-ed did not name Depp, it had a "clear implication" that "Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her".

Trial

The trial began on April 11, 2022, as jurors were chosen.

Testimony

Depp and Heard's former couples therapist, Dr Laurel Anderson, who saw them in 2015, testified her opinion that the duo engaged in "mutual abuse". Both Depp and Heard had been previously beaten by a parent, Anderson said. Depp was "well controlled" over decades and was not violent against previous partners, but was "triggered" with Heard, testified Anderson. For Heard, it "was a point of pride to her, if she felt disrespected, to initiate a fight ... If he was going to leave her to de-escalate from the fight, she would strike him to keep him there", said Anderson.

References

1. "Depp v. Heard trial information - Order Re: Courtroom & Media" (PDF). Circuit Court of Fairfax County. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
2. ^ Wolfe, Jan (April 12, 2022). "Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard face off again in U.S. libel trial". Reuters. Archived from the original on April 11, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
3. ^ Bakarat, Matthew (April 13, 2022). "Lawyer: Depp trial likely to become mudslinging soap opera". Associated Press. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
4. ^ Griffith, Janelle (March 5, 2019). "Johnny Depp sues ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million for allegedly defaming him". NBC News. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
5. "Depp and Heard marriage ended in 'mutual abuse', says therapist". BBC News. April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
6. Finley, Ben (April 14, 2022). "Therapist: Depp and Heard had relationship of 'mutual abuse'". Associated Press. Retrieved April 15, 2022.

• 2022 in American law
• Johnny Depp
• Violence against women in the United States