Johnny Depp trial: Actor's attorney claims Amber Heard faked abuse for career advancement

The opening statements of Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard's teams were heard on Tuesday in Fairfax County, Virginia amid the ongoing defamation trial. As per Variety, Ben Chew and Camille Vasquez, Johnny Depp's attorneys began with their opening statement first, in which they claimed that Heard faked abuse claims to advance in her career. This comes after she penned down an article about domestic abuse in the Washington Post, but did not mention Johnny Depp's name. However, he filed a defamation lawsuit against her and claimed her article made it difficult for him to get jobs in the industry.

Johnny Depp's attorneys' opening statement in defamation trial

Vasquez gave her opening statement as she claimed that Amber Heard portrayed herself as the 'representative of abuse victims everywhere' and called it the 'role of a lifetime', according to Deadline. She mentioned Amber has been 'living and breathing this lie' and that the ongoing trial was all about evidence and the reputation of Johnny Depp. Chew on the other hand mentioned that it was after Depp requested a divorce, Heard’s lawyer threatened him with abuse claims if he did not comply with the financial demands she placed before him. When he did not agree, Heard alleged abuse and filed a restraining order against him. Chew also mentioned that the allegation on Depp had a 'significant impact' on his family and work life, including his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Amber Heard's lawyers' opening statements

Ben Rottenborn addressed the court and reminded all those present that the ongoing trial is about whether Depp would prove what Heard wrote in the 2018 article was false and mentioned that he and his team were trying to turn the trial into a 'soap opera'. He mentioned that she had the right to write what she did and went to remind the jury about the context of the article, which he then went on to read, according to the Independent. He mentioned that in the article, Heard never mentioned the actor's name or a specific incident of abuse. Rottenborn also went on to ask Depp why he did not sue Washington Post and went after Amber to 'ruin her life'.

Image: AP