After three weeks of debating in Fairfax Court, near Washington, the 36-year-old actress’ lawyers asked Judge Penney Azcarate to dismiss the complaint, saying that the star of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise did not prove defamation.
“The court should accept this request for annulment because of the indisputable evidence that he was in fact the one who assaulted Amber,” the actress’s lawyer, Ben Rottenborn, explained before calling the first witness.
Johnny Depp’s lawyer, Benjamin Chew, asked the judge to dismiss the request, saying that Amber Heard “is the aggressor in this courtroom.” This request, common in the American legal system, is rarely granted.
Judge Azcarate considered that there were elements to continue the trial and gave the seven jurors the power to decide on the outcome of the complaint.
Johnny Depp, 58, says his ex-wife has ruined his reputation and career after writing an opinion piece in the Washington Post in 2018, in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse without quoting her ex-husband. He is seeking $ 50 million in damages.
The actor, who testified for four days, denies that he ever raised his hand against his ex-wife, claiming that she was the most violent. Amber Heard countered and demanded $ 100 million, claiming that she suffered “physical abuse and aggression” before and during their tumultuous marriage that lasted only two years, from 2015 to 2017.
