Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are continuing to battle over alleged defamation, and things
keep getting weirder, as Amber Heard is being accused of using a strange tactic to intimidate
Johnny Depp in court.
The defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has revealed that the couple's
relationship may have been far more toxic than anyone thought. Depp has contended that
Amber's claims of abuse are, quote, "plainly false." Heard maintains that their relationship
included cycles of physical and emotional abuse, leaving her to live in constant fear.
In court documents, Heard claimed:
"I was worried that Johnny was in a blacked-out state and unaware of the damage he was doing,
and that he could actually kill me."
The two had a brief, but seemingly quarrelsome time together. Their 2016 divorce included
claims of abuse, which Depp says ultimately damaged his acting career. He sued his ex-wife
after she authored a Washington Post opinion piece about being a survivor of sexual violence,
although Depp was not named in the piece.
A contentious legal battle between the couple ensued shortly after that article was published.
The trial, which is currently underway in a Fairfax, Virginia courthouse, has resulted
in both parties lobbying complaints against the other.
As if the testimony in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal battle wasn't salacious enough,
people online are accusing Heard of copying Depp's courthouse attire in order to play
mind games with him. Examples of the outfits included the pair both wearing gray suits,
as well the exes both wearing a dark tie with a conspicuous pin in the shape of a bee.
Some have claimed that Heard is also mirroring Depp's physical movements. One Twitter user
mocked up a photo with a side-by-side image of Depp and Heard in similar postures, holding
clenched fists up to their faces, with a finger touching their lips.
And while online sleuths continue to piece together theories, things inside the courtroom
are just as contentious. Audio played in court revealed a disturbing message from Heard:
"That's the difference between me and you. You're a f—ing baby. You are such a baby,
grow the f— up, Johnny!"
This was following a fight she allegedly started. Meanwhile, Heard's legal team presented text
messages from Depp that show the actor allegedly joking about having sex with his ex-wife's
corpse.
Camille Vasquez, one of Depp's lawyers, told the court that Heard planned on setting herself
up to be the victim once he asked for a divorce. His legal team believes that she's doing everything
in her power to salvage her reputation. Vasquez is quoted as saying,
"She is obsessed with her public image. She has been living and breathing this role for
years now and she is preparing to give the performance of her life."
In his opening statement, Benjamin Chew, another one of Depp's attorneys, said that his team
will bring up concrete evidence that proves Heard orchestrated her domestic abuse allegations
in order to taint Depp's public perception. He said,
"The evidence will show that Ms. Heard showed up with a mark on her face that mysteriously
appeared six days after she last saw Mr. Depp and six days before she publicly filed a request
for a domestic violence restraining order alleging abuse. The evidence will show that
her publicist and the paparazzi were there at the courthouse to document the event, to
make sure that Johnny Depp's name was forever associated with the image of an innocent,
battered woman."
In addition to Amber Heard's supposed "mind games," she is allegedly not being entirely
truthful regarding the cosmetics she allegedly used to cover bruises from Johnny Depp's alleged
domestic abuse.
After presenting the Milani brand's All in One Correcting Kit, Heard's lawyer, Elaine
Bredehoft, told the court,
"This was what she used. She became very adept at it. You're going to hear the testimony
from Amber about how she had to mix the different colors for the different days of the bruises
as they developed in the different coloring and how she would use to touch those up to
be able to cover those."
Milani's "All In One Correcting Kit" was shown in court, but according to the brand itself,
that specific product wasn't released until after Heard and Depp had already divorced.
"This is what Amber carried in her purse for the entire relationship."
The brand's official TikTok account revealed,
"You asked us... let the record show that our Correcting Kit launched in 2017. We are
here to provide the facts of the case."
The trial is far from over, and it will be interesting to see how it will play out in
the coming weeks.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National
Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources,
and support at their website.