Amber Heard Testifies Behind Closed Doors In Johnny Depp Case
The continuing legal battles between former husband and wife Amber Heard and Johnny Depp enters yet another chapter as Heard is set to testify in libel proceedings brought by Depp.
The Guardian says the court has allowed Heard to testify in the libel case Depp has filed against the Sun tabloid and to do it behind closed doors. Being allowed to deliver her testimony behind closed doors is a victory for Heard and the lawyers who represented her, as they argued that she should not have media present when she makes certain claims.
Depp’s libel case against the Sun stems from a 2018 article that labeled Depp as a “wife-beater.” The trial would have started on Mar. 25 but the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to push through.
While the lawyers representing the Sun and Heard argued that making her testify publicly would result in further vilification of her in the press and social media, Depp’s representatives said that any evidence she would present had already been made public before. Depp’s representatives also allege that Heard has always “promoted herself as a victim.”
However, Heard’s lawyers were able to successfully argue their case according to the Daily Mail. Justice Nicol, who is handling the case, said that the evidence Heard will be presenting is “of a different order” from the ones already known to the public.
A representative for Heard welcomed the court’s decision, saying that there was “no reason” for the rest of the world to know about the details of the abuse she suffered. They also called Depp’s argument that Heard should not enjoy privacy because of her association with the #MeToo movement “troubling.”
This trial is just the latest one where Heard and Depp have clashed. After a contentious divorce that resulted in a $7 million settlement, the pair seemed to have settled their issues until Heard came out with a Washington Post article that alleges she was a domestic abuse victim.
Depp responded with a $50 million defamation suit which alleged that it was Heard who perpetrated domestic abuse and not him. This suit supposed to be heard in American courts this August. Depp maintains that Heard “faked” her injuries, while Heard says Depp is a “monster” who subjected her to “horrific” abuse.
Depp and Heard first met in 2011 on “The Rum Diary” set and got married to each other in 2015. The marriage was shortlived, with the two divorcing in 2017.