The sequel to Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard’s bitter authorized battle has begun.
After shedding the primary spherical – a libel trial set within the United Kingdom – Depp, 58, sued Heard, 35, for US$50 million (RM211.1 million) over an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post wherein she claimed to be a sufferer of home abuse. Heard has sued again, with a US$100 million (RM422.3 million) counterclaim in opposition to Depp.
The defamation trial is anticipated to function painful accusations of home abuse. It will probably be broadcast reside and contain various high-profile witnesses, together with James Franco, Paul Bettany and Elon Musk.
Depp and Heard married in 2015, following three years of courting. However, their relationship got here to a spectacular finish simply 15 months later, with Heard filed for a divorce and a restraining order, showing in a Los Angeles courtroom with a bruised cheek.
She alleged verbal and bodily abuse, with Depp denying all accusations.
In 2018, Heard wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Post about her expertise as a “public figure representing domestic abuse”. Depp sued for defamation, calling it “an elaborate hoax to … advance her career”.
The upcoming battle – anticipated to last as long as six weeks – will in some ways be a rerun of the London trial, exposing lurid particulars about Depp and Heard’s former relationship, with accusations of abuse geared toward either side.
