Why and when is Kate Moss testifying in the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial?
We’re now into the final week of the defamation case between the Hollywood actors and former husband and wife, with more celebrities due to testify.
The court case between Johnny Depp and former wife Amber Heard got underway on 11 April. The legal battle sees the Hollywood actor accusing Heard of defamation for an article she had published in The Washington Post in 2018, in which she claimed to be the victim of ‘domestic abuse’. This was published following the couple’s divorce, but Depp’s name was never mentioned.
As we enter the second day of what is expected to be the final week of the trial, it has come to light that internationally-renowned model Kate Moss will be testifying as a witness.
When is Kate Moss testifying?
According to a report on CNN, Moss will appear as a witness in the trial on Wednesday 25 May. The court case is taking place in Fairfax, Virginia, and the model is expected to attend in person at the behest of Depp’s lawyers.
Why is Kate Moss testifying?
During her own testimony, Heard brought up Moss’ name and this is the reason why she has now been called up as a witness. The 48-year old had a romantic relationship with Depp between 1994 and 1998. Heard referred to the model when describing an altercation between Depp and her sister she said it “reminded” her of a rumour that the actor allegedly pushed Moss down the stairs.
“I didn’t hesitate, I didn’t wait. I immediately thought of Kate Moss and the stairs, and I hit him,” Heard said after acknowledging that she hit the actor to defend her sister while the two were arguing.
These words appeared to spark further positivity for Depp’s lawyers inside the courtroom as, according to the US media, Moss maintains a good relationship with the actor and the mere mention of the incident allowed her to be included in the list of witnesses. That said, it seems that there were indeed altercations during Moss and Depp’s romance.
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What happened with Depp and Moss?
According to a report in The New York Times in 1994, the New York police arrested the actor after he vandalised a hotel room where the model, who never came forward as a victim of violence, was also staying. On Monday, Heard’s defence declined to ask Depp to testify again as a witness in the trial, which only has a few more days to run before the jury convenes to deliberate.
In addition to Heard and Depp, whose testimonies stretched over several days, the four-week trial has involved family members, psychologists, police, representatives, domestic workers and even the couple’s therapist, who insisted the abuse was “mutual” on both sides.
Last week, Whitney Henriquez, Heard’s sister, claimed she saw Depp repeatedly punch the actress in the face during an argument in the then-couple’s penthouse in March 2015. She is, for the moment, the only witness who claims to have seen Depp hit Heard.
How much are Depp and Heard claiming in the trial?
Depp has brought these legal proceedings looking for $50 million in compensation for damages caused after the article was published. For her part, Heard responded to this with a countersuit in which she alleges that Depp has driven a defamation campaign against her and claims $100 million.
This is the first time the two celebrities have faced each other in court: in the trial held in 2020 in London, which Depp lost, the actress was a witness, as the accusation was against the British newspaper The Sun for an article that described the actor as a “woman-beater”.
How can I follow the Depp vs Heard trial live?
It is a court case that deals with serious allegations and due to the nature of it, as well as the celebrities involved, it has captured the attention across the United States and far beyond.
We at AS USA have been keeping our readers across all the developments over recent weeks, including providing video access to the live courtroom, and will continue to do so until a verdict is given.