Claiming To Be Victims Of Domestic Violence, This Week The Jury Will Make A Decision On The Trial Of Johnny Depp And Amber Heard

Amber Heard (Reuters via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The defamation trial of actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard will continue this week. The outcome of the six-week trial will continue, it is expected the jury will make a decision.

Seven jurors weighed in for more than two hours on Friday, May 27. They will resume discussions on Tuesday, May 31.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star is suing Heard for $50 million, saying his ex-wife tarnished his name when claiming he was a victim of domestic violence in an article he wrote in The Washington Post. Heard retaliated against $100 million, saying Depp tarnished his name for calling him a liar.

In his testimony, Depp denied hitting Heard or any other woman and said it was Heard who committed the violence in their relationship. The two met while filming the film "The Rum Diary" in 2011 and married in February 2015. Their marriage officially ended two years later.

"Mr Depp suffered verbal, physical and emotional abuse from Mrs Heard," said lawyer Camille Vasquez during closing arguments, Friday, 27 May.

He said Heard's allegations that Depp sexually assaulted him with a bottle were "wild, exaggerated and senseless" and tarnished Depp's reputation in Hollywood in the eyes of many fans.

"We ask you to give back Mr Depp's life by telling the world that Mr Depp is not the perpetrator of violence as Mrs Heard claims," Vasquez said.

Heard's attorney, Benjamin Rottenborn, in closing arguments reminded jurors of Depp's explicit text message to his friend. In one text, Depp calls Heard a "dirty whore" and he wants Heard dead and "goes to fuck his burning corpse."

"This is a window into the hearts and minds of America's favorite pirate. This is the real Johnny Depp," Rottenborn said.

The issue raised in this trial was an opinion piece written by Heard for the Washington Post. The article did not mention Depp by name explicitly, but lawyers said it was clear that Heard was referring to Depp when writing he was a "public figure representing domestic violence".

Heard's lawyer argued his client said his facts and writings were protected by freedom of expression.

"The key question you answer is 'does the First Amendment give Mrs Heard the right to write the words she wrote?' said Rottenborn to the jury. "You can't simultaneously enforce the First Amendment and support Johnny Depp."

During the six-week trial, jurors listened to recordings of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's feud, looked at evidence in the form of photographs of Depp's bloodied fingers and heard arguments about the feces found on the couple's mattress.

Depp said Heard threw a bottle of vodka that cut off his fingertips when they had a fight in 2015. Heard denied this, and accused Depp of sexually assaulting him that night with a bottle of liquor.

Depp said he believes Heard or a friend left feces on the bed the morning after an altercation that occurred on Heard's 30th birthday. Heard objected, saying the poop was their dog's droppings.

Two years ago, Depp lost a libel trial against the British tabloid Sun who wrote of him as a "wife-beater". The results of the trial in London stated that he repeatedly abused Heard.

Depp's attorney filed the case in Fairfax County, Virginia, because the Washington Post was printed here.