Depp-Heard Trial Comes To A Close As Amber Heard's Lawyers Present Their Closing Arguments

Finally, Amber Heard's lawyers have delivered their closing arguments. The $50 million defamation trial can now be handed to the jury. Johnny Depp had sued his ex-wife Amber Heard after the Aquaman actress had written an op-ed in 2018 in which she shared that she had been a victim of domestic abuse. Heard had not included Depp's name, however, the world had understood the claim was made regarding the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.

Depp, in response, claimed that the allegation damaged his career and launched a defamation case against Heard. The actress, in turn, countersued him for $100m. 

On the 27th of May, both sides were given two hours to deliver closing arguments before the jury could start with their deliberations.

Johnny Depp's side shared their closing arguments first as lawyer Camille Vasques represented Depp and said that it was now up to jurors to ‘hold Miss Heard accountable for her lies’. 

Camille Vasques' argument was followed by Heard's lawyer J. Benjamin Rottenborn and Elaine Bredehoft who presented closing arguments for Heard's case.

"In Mr. Depp's world, you don't leave Mr. Depp. And if you do, he will start a campaign of global humiliation against you. A smear campaign that lasts until this very day," Rottenborn shared.

He then played a video that showed Depp slamming cupboard doors and swearing.

"Let's see the monster. Let's see the monster in the flesh," he said before playing the clip.

"Stand up for freedom of speech. Stand up for the First Amendment. This trial is about so much more than Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard," he later added.

Rottenborn went on to argue that whatever Mr. Depp had lost was "the result of his own choices".

"He's going after Amber for nothing because he wants to put her through this again, the third time. So we're fighting back and that's the counterclaim. She finally has said enough. We're asking you to finally hold this man responsible," Bredehoft continued after Rottenborn's argument.

Both sides were then given a rebuttal, with Depp's team allotted 39 minutes and Heard's team six.

"The evidence shows Miss Heard did not commit abuse hoaxes... The evidence shows that she was being abused exactly how not only she, but her witnesses who support her claims, say she was," Rottenborn said during the assigned rebuttal time.

The closing arguments have been delivered and the jury will now begin with deliberations that will continue into next week. 

Judge Penny Azcarate made the important announcement that the identities of the jurors will be sealed for one year 'due to the high-profile nature of the trial. This had not been revealed before.

Azacarate asked the jurors to read Heard’s entire op-ed and suggested that they must not just get fixed to any ‘one word, phrase or image’.