Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial news summary: Saturday 18 June 2022
Depp v Heard: live updates
Depp v Heard aftermath headlines
- Amber Heard opens up in interview with NBC's Savannah Guthrie
- Heard says evidence suppressed in trial included doctor's notes detailing her reporting of abuse
- Heard suggests Depp exes were scared to come forward, while others provide evidence to the contrary
- Aquaman star tells Guthrie she's "terrified" of another Depp defamation lawsuit
- "I love him" - Heard says she bears no ill-will to Depp
- Heard, Depp camps trade statements over NBC interview
- Depp v Heard juror discusses trial in TV interview
Related AS USA news articles:
Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck album due out in July
After three years of work, Pirates of the Carribean star Johnny Depp and English rock guitarist Jeff Beck will release their 13-track album called "18". It will go on sale 15 July, but the duo has already given fans a taste performing at several UK venues. The first show was the weekend after the Hollywood star's defamation trial against ex-wife Amber heard had wrapped up but the jury had yet to give a verdict.
The two began working on the album, mainly of covers but with two songs were written Depp, in 2019 at the actor's home in France. Beck says of '18' "It's almost like you've been through a record store and gone jumping from one genre to another."
Heard's ex-partner claim refuted
As we discussed earlier in this feed, Amber Heard made a strong claim in her NBC interview that Johnny Depp's former partners were too scared to come forward given the treatment she faced.
Some have pointed, however, to the simple examples of Winona Ryder, Vanessa Parados, Kate Moss and Ellen Barkin to refute her point.
Re-live the Depp-Heard trial
If you can think of nothing better than going back through all the murky details of the trial then the Law & Crime Network have a treat in store for you.
Clearly we are expecting the story to run for quite some time, especially given that Amber Heard's lawyer stated that she had solid new evidence with which to launch an appeal, but for the time being, next Wednesday is a chance to recap the case, as is went down.
That Vasquez merch
We mentioned earlier that Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez has her own group of fans now, and some have gone as far as designing some merchandise with her name... and calls for her to be president. TMZ have created a gallery for you to peruse.
Clearly we'd never see an actual president of the United States based on some ratings-busting TV appearances... Wait, what? Oh!
Depp vs Heard: how the case spiraled
Heard's unseen binder of therapy notes
There’s a binder worth of years of notes dating back to 2011 from the very beginning of my relationship that were taken by my doctor, who I was reporting the abuse to.
From Depp-Heard to US-Assange: public hearings go viral
Alexa O'Brien suggests that the clamour to get a piece of the Depp vs Heard trial may pale in significance when Assange and the United States step into the public ring.
"If I had to place a bet on a wild guess, I’d say the two could even be related in terms of initializing sentiment. Outside of Waldman, the same social media accounts (who were fielding 2016 election propaganda for WL), were playing out field for Depp/Heard virulent swarms early."
Depp does movies
Maybe, however unlikely it may be, you're reading this feed and are unaware of all the films that Johnny Depp has appeared in. Well, allow me to assist.
The ever reliable folk at IMDb have the full back catalogue for the man most famous to younger movie goers for Pirates of the Caribbean and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Known to them as simply '0000136' here you can have your fill.
And here's a sample of some of those delights...
Depp v Heard: the real trial
Khalil P. Garriott asks an interesting question today on Twitter, but an unsurprising one given what we've seen over the course of the last two months...
Where is your vote at?
After the court in Virginia ruled in favour of Johnny Depp on all three counts brought by his legal team, he was awarded $15 million in compensation, while Heard’s countersuit was awarded $2 million.
Heard, it has been made clear, is to appeal the verdict and will almost certainly appeal the compensatory figures given by the jury. And the whole mess had many asking about the actor's already-huge personal wealth.
Click on the image above to find out more...
Depp's return as Disney's most famous pirate
OK, so Captain Hook is somewhat famous and has some modern dealings with the Disney empire but let's ignore that for the moment.
Jack Sparrow, aka Johnny Depp in some pirate gear travailing the Caribbean with a film crew, was rumoured to be up for a new movie. But just how likely were those rumours of bearing pieces of eight?
Vicki Newman argues that a recent Depp-osition suggests it will not happen, but I'm more inclined to think that some of the points made in the trial were for the purposes of the trial, and we're now in very different waters...
Talking of headline-grabbing Camille Vasquez, did you know that she recently made partner in her law firm? Click on the picture above and learn more...
Depp lawyer Vasquez gets merch
When you tie your team's scarf too tightly around your neck, strange things can happen...
Johnny Depp fans are continuing their love affair with lawyer Camille Vasquez after her team pulled out a win for the actor against Amber Heard in their highly-publicized defamation trial.
In addition to praising her on social media, fans have now created merchandise dedicated to the skillful attorney, with many items imploring the legal eagle to run for President.
Items include t-shirts, hoodies, magnets and even candles with Vasquez’s name and likeness. Some items find followers comparing her to Depp’s ex with phrases such as, “In a world full of Ambers, be a Camille.”
Others quoted Vasquez as she crossed examined Heard during trial, including quips such as, “respectfully, that’s not my question.”
Find out more about the Camille Vasquez range. It's totally not just a money-making... oh!
I took for granted what I assumed was my right to speak. I'm scared that no matter what I do or what I say or how I say it — every step that I take will present another opportunity for this sort of silencing, which is what, I guess, a defamation lawsuit is meant to do — to take your voice.
The Amber Heard questions missed
The interview that Amber Heard undertook is clearly dominating today's opinion pieces and given that this was such a public performance for a reason, everyone gets their say. Here is another, tidied up for clarity:
"If you watched the Depp v Heard trial you will be disgusted by Amber's interview with NBCNews. Clearly there is a narrative being pushed by the media with support from their allies and that is men cannot be victims of domestic violence. This is BS.
"There are records of Amber abusing her former wife. She was arrested etc. Savannah should have presented that to her. She has a history of abuse. There are so many opportunities she missed to challenge Amber with the facts but she didn't. That clearly means there is an agenda." Check the thread for more...
The Depp-Beck album: what to know
in reference to that last post about Depp and English guitarist Jeff Beck, their album of mainly covers is soon to be released, after taking to the stage together in those unsurprisingly headline-grabbing shows.
Called "18", the 13-track album will be released on July 15. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor performed alongside Beck at several UK venues in the past two weeks.
"It's almost like you've been through a record store and gone jumping from one genre to another," Beck said, stating that they first began working on the album at Depp's home in France.
"There's a couple of Motown, there's a couple of Beach Boy covers on ... It sounds pretty good for a home recording." Depp and Beck have recorded music since 2019 for the album, which also features two original songs by Depp, who has his own band the Hollywood Vampires. One song is about actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr.
"We slowly built songs that we just like. We didn't really make any design," Beck said.
"He has ... a very distinctive (voice) and he gets he gets music and hopefully I've enabled him to open up to some songs that he wouldn't otherwise been interested in."
Upon the successful verdict earlier this month, Depp said the jury gave him his life back.
Beck said: "I hope I have helped him a little bit having some kind of understanding and closeness and joking, and just keeping the fun thing going."
Beck was speaking on the sidelines of a blue plaque event honouring late guitarist Jimi Hendrix at the London Hard Rock Hotel. The building was formerly the Cumberland Hotel, where Hendrix often resided before his 1970 death.
"It was one of the biggest vacuums left in rock 'n' roll," Beck said.
Johnny Depp on stage
What do you mean you missed Johnny Depp on stage?
If you're following this feed then you're unlikely not to have seen him perform alongside friend and fellow artist Jeff Beck onstage at the Royal Albert Hall in London just days after the closing arguments in his trial.
The London show came after a surprise appearance by Depp at Beck's Sheffield stop in his UK tour. Enjoy!
Abuse is front and center
Despite the ugly nature of much of the public hearing of the Depp-Heard trial, if one thing is clear is that an appreciation of the abuse that can take place in relationships evades many.
How someone believes that responding to another human with such disdain and lack of compassion is... well, far too common these days. For all the immense good that social media has brought us, there is much to correct.
Depp-Heard and abuse survivors
So many views have been put forward in this case and Amy Edmunds has provided hers this week for The Michigan Daily, focused on the survivors of domestic abuse. Here's an excerpt:
'Besides being humorously entertaining at times, this trial has more to offer now that it’s over. Both parties represent survivors of domestic abuse, with the public eye carefully watching the entirety of the trial unfold. In the op-ed that began the whole lawsuit, Heard calls herself a “public figure representing domestic abuse,” joining the #MeToo movement and becoming a self proclaimed advocate for domestic abuse victims.
'Sadly, given the recent trial outcome, Heard appears to be anything but the admirable and courageous model for survivors that she parades as. According to the court decision, she falsely accused her partner of sexual and physical abuse, adopting a victim complex for fame and money. Not only that, the evidence presented in trial dictates that she may have even been the abuser herself all along.'
Look what happened to me when I came forward. Would you?
Heard suggests fear prevented others coming forward
Much of today's focus on the Depp-heard situation has, as you'll be more than aware, been focused on Amber's interview, during which she mentioned that she stands by her testimony and the abuse allegations against Depp despite losing the case.
The actress also implied that Depp’s other exes allegedly faced similar abuse at the hands of the actor but were scared to speak the truth.
Heard: "There is so much I regret"
Pressed by host Savannah Guthrie about her own "bad behaviour" in her marriage to Johnny Depp - evidence of which is caught in audio recordings played during the trial - Amber Heard admitted in her NBC interview: "There is so much I regret".
“You hear my voice in those audiotapes - it’s not the voice of me now, it’s not who I am now," Heard said. "I did do and say horrible, regrettable things throughout my relationship. I behaved in horrible, almost unrecognisable ways to myself. There is so much I regret.”
Check out AS USA's summary of some of the key quotes in Heard's interview
AS USA's Will Gittins has taken a look back over some of the more unusual moments witnessed in the Depp v Heard defamation trial.
Heard's team has stated that she intends to appeal the verdict of her defamation suit and counter-suit against Depp.
When could this legal challenge take place? AS USA's Calum Roche takes a look.
Savannah Guthrie "should be far away from this story"
NBC’s Savannah Guthrie should not have interviewed Amber Heard or Heard's lawyers due to her husband’s ties to Johnny Depp’s camp, a journalism ethics expert has told Insider.
Guthrie has revealed that her husband, Michael Feldman, did “consulting work” with Depp’s legal team.
"Ms Guthrie was transparent by letting viewers know her husband worked for the Depp legal team before her interview aired on the 'Today' show," Rebecca Aguilar of the Society of Professional Journalists said.
"Still, she could have avoided becoming part of the story by allowing another NBC anchor to interview the Depp team and later with Ms. Amber Heard.
"Ms Guthrie should be far away from this story to show her viewers that she is fair, transparent, and ethical."
Meanwhile, an anonymous member of the jury spoke to ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday, telling the show that Heard seemed less credible than Depp.
“It didn’t come across as believable,” the juror said of Heard’s emotional testimony, “It seemed like she was able to flip the switch on her emotions. She would answer one question and she would be crying and two seconds later she would turn ice cold. It didn’t seem natural.”
Depp, Heard teams trade statements
In response to Heard's interview, Depp's legal team supplied NBC with the following statement: "It’s unfortunate that while Johnny is looking to move forward with his life, the defendant and her team are back to repeating, reimagining and re-litigating matters that have already been decided by the Court and a verdict that was unanimously and unequivocally decided by a jury in Johnny’s favor.”
In a short communiqué published by the Hollywood Reporter, Heard's camp replied: "If Mr. Depp or his team have a problem with this, we recommend that Johnny himself sit down with Savannah Guthrie for an hour and answer all her questions.”
On Friday night, NBC aired Amber Heard's full Dateline interview with Savannh Guthrie, excerpts of which had been released throughout the week.
Heard told Guthrie that she's "terrified" of being sued again by Depp for continuing to discuss the trial publicly, and said that among the evidence suppressed in court was a binder of doctor's notes detailing her reporting of domestic abuse.
Heard was also quizzed by Guthrie on subjects such as her own "bad behaviour", and her misleading claim that she donated her divorce settlement to charity.
We've put together a summary of some of the key moments in the interview
Here is a reminder of some of the pivotal moments in the six-week trial, which concluded at the start of this month.
Depp v Heard, the aftermath live: welcome
Good morning and welcome to AS USA's daily live blog on the aftermath of the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard defamation trial, in which Heard was deemed to have defamed her ex-husband in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed.
Heard has been ordered to pay Depp $10.35m in damages. She was also awarded $2m by the jury in Fairfax, Virginia, after winning on one count of her defamation counter-suit against Depp.