Jury ends deliberations for the day in Depp vs Heard trial

Jury ends deliberations for the day in Depp vs Heard trial

No verdict has yet been reached in the bitter defamation proceedings between the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star and his ex-wife.

US actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. (AP pic)
FAIRFAX:
The jury in the bitter defamation trial between “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard concluded deliberations for the day on Tuesday without reaching a verdict.

The seven-person jury will resume their deliberations on Wednesday morning (tonight in Malaysia) in Fairfax County Circuit Court, near the Virginia, United States, capital.

The panel met for seven hours on Tuesday and two hours on Friday.

Closing arguments in the high-profile case were held on Friday at the end of a six-week trial featuring claims and counterclaims of domestic abuse.

The 58-year-old Depp flew to England over the Memorial Day weekend and made surprise appearances at concerts by Jeff Beck in Sheffield on Sunday and at Royal Albert Hall in London on Monday.

Depp, a guitarist, has his own band, the Hollywood Vampires, with Alice Cooper and Joe Perry of Aerosmith.

Depp filed suit against Heard over an op-ed she wrote for “The Washington Post” in December 2018, in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse”.

The Texas-born Heard, who had a starring role in “Aquaman”, did not name Depp in the piece, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking US$50 million in damages.

The 36-year-old Heard countersued for US$100 million, claiming that she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.

Dozens of witnesses testified during the trial, including Depp’s bodyguards, Hollywood executives, agents, entertainment industry experts, doctors, friends and relatives.

Depp and Heard each spent days on the witness stand during the televised trial, which was attended by hundreds of fans of the “Pirates” star and accompanied by a #JusticeForJohnnyDepp campaign on social media.

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