In Fairfax County, Virginia, Johnny Depp’s $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard goes to trial next week. It will generate plenty of media attention on its own, with expected witnesses like James Franco and Elon Musk, and now Court TV has confirmed that it will provide the televised live.
The network will be the official pool feed provider for the litigation, guaranteeing “unobstructed and unbiased views of the proceedings” in a press release. Court TV will, of course, air its own analysis of the case.
“High-profile court cases like this one typically generate a lot of noise, and it can be difficult for viewers to cut through the noise to get a clear image of what’s going on.”
“Court cases that are as high-profile as this one often create a lot of noise, and it can be difficult for viewers to break through these distractions to have a clear picture of the facts, but that’s where we come in,” said Acting Head of Court TV Ethan Nelson in a statement. “Between the camera feed directly from the courtroom and our first-class lineup of talent, Court TV will be the true source of an unbiased, down-the-middle perspective of the trial as it unfolds.”
Depp sued Heard for libel in March 2019 after she wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in 2018 about being a “public survivor of abuse.” Despite the fact that Depp isn’t named, his lawsuit claims that “the op-ed was based on the core premise that Ms. Heard was a domestic abuse victim and that Mr. Depp conducted domestic violence against her.” In 2021, Heard failed to have the lawsuit dismissed, so she filed a $100 million countersuit.
Returning to the present, both Franco and Musk are expected to testify on behalf of Heard. Heard testified that Franco asked her about bruises on her face after an alleged incident with Depp during Depp’s libel action against The Sun. Meanwhile, in his defamation lawsuit against Heard, Depp says that she had an affair with Musk “no later than one month after” their 2015 wedding. Musk and Heard have both denied the allegations.
The whole thing started when Heard filed for divorce from Depp in 2016. Heard accused him of verbal and physical abuse during their relationship after she was granted a restraining order due to suspicions of domestic violence. They did, however, resolve their divorce in August 2016, and it was finalised in January 2017.
Depp, on the other hand, has filed a libel claim against The Sun for branding him a “wife beater” since then. Depp’s arguments were ultimately dismissed by England’s High Court of Justice, which ruled in November 2020 that the majority of Heard’s allegations against him were “essentially true.” Separately, in February 2020, audio was leaked in which Heard admitted to committing a series of aggressive acts towards Depp.
People hate Amber Heard because of her behaviour.
It’s literally that simple.#JusticeForJohnnyDepp pic.twitter.com/a2AgpKVXMU
— 🏴 Thistle 🏴 (@HyslopKayleigh) April 6, 2022
Amber Heard’s arrest for assaulting her ex-wife. Can you read that? ASSAULT? Like every other abuser, there’s a pattern#JusticeForJohnnyDepp #JusticeForJohnnyDeppVirginia2022 pic.twitter.com/EhK5QW08kk
— Princess Consuela Bananahammock (@PrinConsuella_) April 6, 2022
Since I took interest in the case a few years ago, I have never seen anyone wish Amber Heard “dead” nor threaten her child, in fact, I’ve seen many fear for her child is being raised by a “mommy dearest”
I honestly just want #JusticeForJohnnyDepp pic.twitter.com/f1vV8Xzn6S
— Nova Bones (@agp2039) April 6, 2022
