Plaintiff

Johnny Depp

Film actor and plaintiff who testified about abuse allegations and claimed career harm.

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11 – Jun 1, 2022

Called by plaintiff

2,374 lines 18 proceedings 39 highlights

About

Johnny Depp brought a Virginia defamation claim over Amber Heard’s 2018 Washington Post op-ed. He testified that he never physically abused Heard and described confrontations he said she initiated, including one in Australia in which he said a thrown vodka bottle severed his fingertip. Heard testified that Depp physically and sexually abused her. She said she did not know how his finger was injured.

Cross-examination confronted Depp with recordings of arguments, violent messages about Heard, evidence about his substance use, and his own messages describing the finger injury as something he had done. He explained messages to Paul Bettany about harming Heard as private humor and said his use of “monster” referred to his struggle with sobriety. He maintained his denial of abuse.

Depp said Heard’s op-ed damaged his reputation and career. Heard’s lawyers challenged that link with evidence of adverse publicity and career difficulties before its publication. Depp’s agents attributed lost Pirates work to Heard’s allegations, while a Disney representative said company records did not mention the op-ed and acknowledged that casting decisions were outside her authority. The jury found for Depp on all three statements challenged in his claim and for Heard on one counterclaim concerning a statement by Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman.

Trial Record (18)

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11, 2022 – Jun 1, 2022 18 proceedings

Day 5 April 19, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Johnny Depp Johnny Depp Jessica Meyers 4 188

Summary

Depp testifies about his childhood abuse, career origins, substance history, and the beginnings of his relationship with Heard, denying he ever struck her.

Highlights (4)

Quote

“never did I, myself, reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life”

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Quote

“I pride myself on honesty. I pride myself on truth. Truth is the only thing I'm interested in.”

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Quote

“I am not some maniac who needs to be high or loaded all the time.”

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Quote

“I started taking the roxys and I was bit by the snake, and then before you know it, that monkey is on your back to stay.”

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Day 6 April 20, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Johnny Depp (Continued) Johnny Depp Jessica Meyers 3 446

Summary

Depp describes escalating verbal and physical abuse by Heard, including the Australia finger injury, staircase punch, and career devastation from Heard's 2018 op-ed.

Highlights (3)

Quote

“I found that I had sort of rolled off the couch and I was sitting on the floor, crying. Tears streaming down my face begging another human being to please, please, give me the meds that will take this away. And she would not.”

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Quote

“I looked down and realized that the tip of my finger had been severed, and I was looking directly at my bones sticking out”

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Quote

“Nothing less than everything. Nothing less than everything.”

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Cross Cross Examination of Johnny Depp Johnny Depp J. Benjamin Rottenborn 2 48

Summary

Rottenborn challenges Depp on the op-ed's limited scope, establishes Disney dropped him before the op-ed, and introduces a divorce document stating neither party made false accusations.

Highlights (2)

Quote

“So they didn't remove my character from the rides. They didn't stop selling merchandise of Captain Jack Sparrow. They didn't stop selling dolls of Captain Jack Sparrow.”

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Quote

“That is true, Mr. Rottenborn.”

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Day 7 April 21, 2022

Cross Cross Examination of Johnny Depp (Continued) Johnny Depp J. Benjamin Rottenborn 4 667

Summary

Rottenborn impeached Depp with violent texts about Heard, drug-use admissions contradicting claimed sobriety, and inconsistencies in his Australia finger-injury account.

Highlights (4)

Quote

“I was excited to take care of it for him.”

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Quote

“You know, I mean, isn't happy hour any time?”

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Quote

“I have assaulted a couch or two, yes, sir.”

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Quote

“it's a canvas, it's a painting.”

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Day 8 April 25, 2022

Cross Cross Examination of Johnny Depp (Continued) Johnny Depp J. Benjamin Rottenborn 4 152

Summary

Rottenborn continued cross of Depp with audio recordings of arguments and texts revealing violent wishes toward Heard and a finger injury admission.

Highlights (4)

Quote

“Walking away -- and I will fucking stick to this until I die: Walking away is necessary, is necessary especially between you and I.”

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Quote

“The only person that I have ever abused in my life is myself.”

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Quote

“I'm never getting clean and sober.”

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Quote

“It's a stack of head pieces generated by Ms. Heard's publicity team.”

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Redirect Redirect Examination of Johnny Depp Johnny Depp Jessica Meyers 4 269

Summary

On redirect, Meyers asked Depp to explain the Bettany texts, the term 'monster,' recordings of arguments, his finger injury, and the San Francisco knife incident.

Highlights (4)

Quote

“the text that is about burning Ms. Heard is -- it's directly from Monty Python in a sketch about burning witches and then drowning the witches.”

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Quote

“The monster was sobriety. The monster was trying to be -- to be sober because I was plagued by these requests to stop drinking.”

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Quote

“there's no way, under the sun, that I would flick a cigarette at her or burn her with a cigarette”

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Quote

“In fact, I wasn't threatening to hurt myself.”

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Day 11 April 28, 2022

Cross Cross Examination of Malcolm Connolly Malcolm Connolly Adam Nadelhaft 1 1

Summary

Defense cross-examined Connolly on financial ties to Depp, gaps in direct observation, UK testimony omissions, and played an audio clip of Depp's agitated state in Australia.

Highlights (1)

Quote

“What you are and who you are and how you fucked me over and make me feel sick of myself There's still a lot left in the day. Maybe you should dye your hair. I see roots.”

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Day 14 May 4, 2022

Cross Cross-Examination of Dawn Hughes Dawn Hughes Wayne Dennison 13

Summary

Dennison challenged Hughes on gender bias, financial stake, and flawed PTSD testing methodology, then played an audio recording of Heard admitting to hitting Depp and starting physical fights.

Redirect Redirect Examination of Dawn Hughes Dawn Hughes Elaine Bredehoft 2 25

Summary

Bredehoft rehabilitates Hughes via additional audio clips showing Depp acknowledging mutual violence, while hearsay objections block full test document admission.

Highlights (2)

Quote

“I'm scared to death of this. We are a fucking crime scene waiting to happen --”

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Quote

“we've had three physical fights in the last month and a half.”

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Day 16 May 16, 2022

Direct Amber Heard Direct Examination (Continued) Amber Heard Elaine Bredehoft 1 77

Summary

Heard walks the jury through April 2015–May 2016 alleged abuse, culminating in a detailed account of the May 21, 2016 penthouse phone-throwing incident, with photos and audio admitted.

Highlights (1)

Quote

“You don't exist.”

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Cross Cross Examination of Amber Heard Amber Heard Camille Vasquez 16

Summary

Vasquez opens Heard's cross with audio recordings and event photographs showing no visible injuries, then presses Heard on her public pledge to donate the $7 million divorce settlement.

Day 17 May 17, 2022

Cross Cross Examination of Amber Heard Amber Heard Camille Vasquez 1 162

Summary

Vasquez cross-examines Heard across Australia, penthouse, Bahamas, 30th birthday, May 21 and the op-ed, repeatedly contrasting her testimony with recordings, photos, witness accounts and the UK record.

Highlights (1)

Quote

“I didn't want you to fucking go to Coachella without fucking talking to me because I left you because you were fucking -- you fuckin' O haymakered me, man. You came around the bed and fuckin' started punching on me.”

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Cross Cross Examination of iO Tillett Wright iO Tillett Wright Elaine Bredehoft 10

Summary

Bredehoft elicits Wright's accounts of Depp's substance abuse, demeaning behavior toward Heard, a wedding punch comment, injury photos, and the May 2016 911 call.

Day 22 May 25, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Johnny Depp Johnny Depp Jessica Meyers 4 103

Summary

Meyers rehabilitates Depp on Waldman statements, Aquaman role, Australia MDMA claims, honeymoon injury photos, Kate Moss, and Whitney Henriquez.

Highlights (4)

Quote

“Because I'd be dead. I'm pretty sure I'd be dead. I think one would die, yes. Probably rather quickly.”

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Quote

“Ms. Heard hit me. Is that better?”

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Quote

“There was never a moment where I pushed Kate down any set of stairs. Yet, she's skewed this three times before.”

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Quote

“Amber asked her to leave, get out.”

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Cross Cross-Examination of Johnny Depp (Day 22) Johnny Depp J. Benjamin Rottenborn 4 123

Summary

Rottenborn confronts Depp with pre-train honeymoon photos, post-injury drug texts, a vitriolic text to his agent, and his prior UK trial testimony.

Highlights (4)

Quote

“You did read that right, yes.”

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Quote

“You can pull what you like. I've never said those words. There's not enough hubris in me to say anything like that.”

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Quote

“When asked what to do, I said, 'Placate her,.just placate her like we always do.'”

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Quote

“You did.”

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Redirect Redirect Examination of Johnny Depp Johnny Depp Jessica Meyers 4 35

Summary

Meyers rehabilitates Depp on cross-examination exhibits — the Carino text, sister/Aquaman text, and disclaimed DX883 messages — before closing with his direct denial of all physical abuse.

Highlights (4)

Quote

“Ms. Heard provided information to The Sun as their star witness, but the case was not brought against Ms. Heard; it was brought against The Sun newspaper, journal, whatever it is.”

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Quote

“No. Honestly, if somebody else had borrowed my phone or something and made this text to Stephen, possibly. But I don't understand -- I don't have that kind of -- I don't write like -- I don't have that kind of hubris or expectation, That's quite grotesque text.”

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Quote

“I see, like, what looks like a pretty decent shiner and kind of scratched-up nose, yes.”

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Quote

“Never. Never.”

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Day 24 May 27, 2022

Closing Closing Argument — Plaintiff (Vasquez and Chew) Camille Vasquez 26

Summary

Depp's attorneys Vasquez and Chew deliver closing argument on the sixth anniversary of Heard's TRO filing, replaying audio admissions and challenging the lack of corroborating injury evidence.

Closing Closing Argument — Defendant (Rottenborn) J. Benjamin Rottenborn 1 11

Summary

Rottenborn delivers Heard's closing, arguing the op-ed is First Amendment-protected, Depp cannot meet his burden of proof, and reviewing evidence of alleged abuse chronologically.

Highlights (1)

Quote

“I'm talking about Australia, the day that I chopped my finger off.”

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Locations

ECB Penthouse 2 procs

Evidence From Their Proceedings (67)

Documents Admitted

Heard Washington Post Op-Ed (Dec 18, 2018)

Amber Heard's opinion piece titled 'I spoke up against sexual violence and faced our culture's wrath. This has to change.' published in the Washington Post on December 18, 2018,…

Johnny Depp

About

Trial Record (18)

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11, 2022 – Jun 1, 2022 18 proceedings

Day 5 April 19, 2022

Summary

Highlights (4)

Day 6 April 20, 2022

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Highlights (3)

Summary

Highlights (2)

Day 7 April 21, 2022

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Highlights (4)

Day 8 April 25, 2022

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Highlights (4)

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Highlights (4)

Day 11 April 28, 2022

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Highlights (1)

Day 14 May 4, 2022

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Highlights (2)

Day 16 May 16, 2022

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Highlights (1)

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Day 17 May 17, 2022

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Highlights (1)

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Day 22 May 25, 2022

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Highlights (4)

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Day 24 May 27, 2022

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Summary

Highlights (1)

Locations

Evidence From Their Proceedings (67)

Heard Washington Post Op-Ed (Dec 18, 2018)

Australia House — Bar Area Photos (Exs. 1816, 1817, 1820, 1821)

Australia House — Bathroom Mirror Writings (Exs. 374, 375, 1830)

Depp–Heard Multi-Segment Argument Recording (PX 343)

Depp 'Cut Off My Finger' Texts to Dr. Kipper and Others

Depp Ice Cream / Passed-Out Photo (Def. 1094)

Hasta la muerte bowie knife gifted by Amber Heard

Plaintiff's Ex. 144 — ER Photo, Depp's Severed Fingertip (Australia)

'Tell the World, Johnny' Recording (PX 357A)

2016 Depp-Heard Joint Divorce Statement

Boston–LA Plane Audio Recording (Ex. 221)

Depp to Kipper — March 2015 Finger Injury Text (Exhibit 394)

Depp–Bettany Texts re Boston Flight (Def. Ex. 245)

Depp–Carino Death-Wish Texts, August 15, 2016 (Def. Ex. 857 / 857A)

Daily Mail 'Depp Out as Jack Sparrow' Article (Oct. 2018)

Depp 'Fucking Cunt' Remark Recording (PX 366)

Depp 'Monster' Texts (April–June 2015)

Depp to Dembrowski 'Replace Her on WB Film' Text, June 4, 2016 (DX821)

Depp to Paige Heard — 2014 Detox Praise Texts

Depp UK Trial Transcript (Depp v. News Group Newspapers)

Depp–Heard Argument with Insults (PX 397)

Depp–Witkin 'Hit the Wall Hard' Text (Feb 4 2014)

Plaintiff's Ex. 145 — ER Photo, Cigarette Burn on Depp's Cheek (Australia)

Waldman Defamatory Statement — Defendant's Exhibit 1245

Waldman Defamatory Statement — Defendant's Exhibit 1246

Waldman Defamatory Statement — Defendant's Exhibit 1247

'Bloodbath' and Island Violence Recording (Def. Ex. 598B)

'Get Off Me' Physical Contact Recording (PX 396B)

'I Made a Huge Mistake' Argument Recording (Def. Ex. 581)

'Molly' Reference Texts from Depp's Phone

'Property of JD' Drug Box with Whiskey and Cocaine (D-1085)

Cigarette/Couch Dispute Recording (PX 365)