The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial has commenced in Virginia, and it opened with a claim of sexual assault against the Pirates of the Caribbean star.
Opening statements in the defamation trial began Tuesday after Depp sued Heard, his ex-wife, over a 2018 op-ed she wrote about becoming a "public figure representing domestic abuse." Heard's lawyer, Ben Rottenborn, said jurors would see "who the real Johnny Depp" is, deeming him an "obsessed ex-husband hellbent on revenge."
Rottenborn also said, though, that the "central issue" of the case is whether what Heard wrote in her Washington Post op-ed is speech protected by the First Amendment, even though Depp's "team is going to try to turn this case into a soap opera." The op-ed never mentions Depp's name, but his lawyers say readers would understand she was referring to him because she previously accused him of domestic violence. After reading the op-ed in court, Rottenborn said the piece was "not about Amber's relationship" with Depp.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Tuesday's opening statements also included Heard's attorney alleging Depp sexually assaulted the actress. Lawyer Elaine Bredehoft described one incident in which Depp allegedly took "eight to 10 tablets of ecstasy," threw bottles at Heard, punched her, and "[penetrated] her with a liquor bottle." Depp's attorney noted the sexual assault claim was not part of her allegations of abuse in 2016, claiming Heard "panicked and alleged sexual assault" after she "realized the seriousness of what she alleged," per Rolling Stone.
Depp attorney Ben Chew claimed Heard, who is a "profoundly troubled person," lied about her abuse allegations "for her own personal benefit," adding "this trial is about clearing Mr. Depp's name."
Depp previously lost a separate defamation case after suing a British tabloid that referred to him as a "wife beater." The trial in Virginia is expected to last about six weeks.
-
September 14 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-warTalking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
