Jury selection began Monday in Virginia in the high-profile dispute between divorced actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. Depp is suing Heard for defamation and asking for $50 million in damages, while Heard is countersuing for $100 million.
Several supporters showed up at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in the morning as proceedings began. Multiple signs read, “Justice for Johnny.”
Several recognizable names appear on the witness list, including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and actor James Franco. Representatives from the Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. are also featured on the list.
The defamation complaint against Heard cites a 2018 op-ed for the Washington Post penned by the actress. In the article, titled “Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change,” Heard detailed her history of abuse and discussed current movements fighting its societal pervasiveness.
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Two years prior, in 2016, Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against Depp after she claimed domestic violence.
In the 2018 article, she wrote, “Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out.” Depp’s complaint alleges there was a “clear implication” that he is a “domestic abuser.”
Heard did not mention Depp by name. However, he says the article was “plainly” about their relationship. “The op-ed depended on the central premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp perpetrated domestic violence against her,” the complaint continues.
It further claims that Depp never abused Heard and, rather, that any accusations from the actress were part of an “elaborate hoax” for publicity. The complaint cites multiple police officers and witnesses.
According to the complaint, Heard is a perpetrator of domestic violence, not a victim. She “violently abused Mr. Depp” and confessed to several attacks on him.
Depp says the article is defamatory and claims his reputation and career were hurt by it. “Mr. Depp lost movie roles and faced public scorn,” the complaint reads. It cites Disney’s dropping of Depp four days after publication as evidence of career damage.
The complaint says Depp wishes to clear his name with the suit.
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According to a report, the court proceedings will begin at 10 a.m. each day, and the trial will go on through Thursday each of the six weeks.
