Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial: Jury to continue deliberations in defamation case

FALLS CHURCH, Va. - A Virginia jury will continue deliberations on Tuesday in Johnny Depp’s $50 million libel trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, a closely-watched case that has drawn millions of viewers online and much public debate surrounding the claims.

Testimony throughout the six-week trial provided an ugly glimpse into the couple's seemingly toxic relationship and captivated the public, with some fans even camping out and spending tens of thousands of dollars for a chance to witness the court proceedings in person.Both sides gave their closing arguments on Friday and the civil case went into the hands of the seven-person jury.

Depp sued Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse."The article never even mentions Depp by name, but his lawyers say he was defamed nonetheless.

Most of the article discusses public policy as it relates to domestic violence, and Heard's lawyers say she has a First Amendment right to weigh in.(L) Actor Amber Heard testifies in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 16, 2022. (R) Actor Johnny Depp returns to the courtroom after a lunch break at the Fairfax County Circuit Court during his defamat In the first passage, Heard wrote that "two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath." Depp’s lawyers called it a clear reference to Depp, given that Heard publicly accused Depp of domestic violence in 2016 — two years before she wrote the article.In a second passage, she stated, "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real-time, how institutions.