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March 28, 2024, 09:45:41 AM

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Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial

Started by Barry Admin, April 13, 2022, 06:00:42 PM

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Barry Admin

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on April 13, 2022, 11:26:46 PMBasically, they had an acrimonious break-up/divorce, at which point she claimed he had thrown stuff at/hit her during an argument. Others in Depp's camp (most publicly Doug Stanhope, strangely enough) have said he was hiding out trying to avoid a confrontation earlier on the day this happened, after she'd supposedly told him she was going to leave him and destroy him publicly if he didn't agree to her terms.

There was a bit of back-and-forth at the time, where she was asking for half of his properties, but they ultimately decided to settle, with Depp agreeing to give her $7m (which she claimed she would donate to a charity, although it's unclear whether that's happened), and released a joint statement saying basically "It was a mad relationship, but neither of us intentionally harmed the other".

Fast forward a few months, and Amber Heard has gone to the Washington Post with an article in which she details her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse - not naming Depp specifically, but of course everybody knows exactly what she's talking about. In the Depp camp's eyes, this constitutes a violation of their divorce settlement, as well as defamation since they maintain that Depp was more of a victim than an abuser in that relationship.

What follows is a series of increasingly embarrassing trials which air out all their dirty laundry for everyone to see. Depp's camp also starts a separate defamation/libel trial against The Sun in the UK for labeling him a "wife-beater", which he loses. As a result of this, he loses most of his high profile acting gigs (dropped by Disney as Jack Sparrow, replaced in Fantastic Beasts etc.) This is a separate case entirely, and doesn't constitute any meaningful verdict on crimes committed within the relationship (or afterwards), just that a UK judge decided The Sun weren't breaking libel laws to call him a wife-beater based on available evidence. A good deal of people think this ruling was unfair, and it sets yet another precedent for tabloids to feel comfortable publishing any old shit without any due process.

What we're seeing now is the actual defamation trial against Heard, filed in Virginia where the Washington Post is based. From what I understand, Heard has very little concrete evidence to support her side of the story, whereas the Depp camp has a good deal of witness testimony and audio/video recordings that portray her as the aggressor. The fact that all of Depp's ex-partners are supportive of him, whereas Heard has a few exes who have publicly claimed she was violent and emotionally abusive towards them, certainly goes some way to supporting his case. It's also very difficult to listen to those released recordings of their therapy sessions without believing that she's, at the very least, as capable of being as abusive as she claimed he was.

It's all very embarrassing, ultimately, and I don't think either one of their careers will survive it well. From everything I've heard and read, Depp comes off as emotionally immature and a bit clueless, with blatant substance abuse issues that don't help matters in the slightest. But I think you'd have to perform some pretty mad mental gymnastics to believe Heard is simply an innocent victim in all of this. You only need to hear those recordings to realise that he is absolutely terrified of her. In those recordings, she belittles him, gaslights him, tries to convince him that it's "normal" for her to lash out physically when he doesn't do what she wants - and this is in a recorded therapy session! There's nowhere near that amount of "from the horse's mouth" evidence for the abuse she claims he perpetrated - at least not yet. I don't think the messages to Paul Bettany about "burning her on a bonfire" really count - I've sent similar messages to my wife when a friend has been late for a lunch.

Depp's sister testified recently explaining that she'd seen Heard chastise him in front of everyone, calling him a "fat old man" etc. and downplaying his accomplishments. All of that testimony really does tally with Stanhope's summation from a few years ago of what he observed in their relationship, before they were even married. Depp may well be a wanker - he almost definitely is - but there's been nothing presented so far that has made me take Heard's (or The Sun's) side over his.

(And I really hate Johnny Depp, for countless other reasons)

Thanks for writing that up @Noodle Lizard - it covered a lot I didn't really know about.

Noodle Lizard

THIS ALL BEING SAID - this trial has a long way to go. If Heard's camp can prove any of the things she's said about Depp, my opinion may well change. It's far more common for a woman to be abused by her husband (especially a richer, more powerful one) than vice versa. At the moment, I can only go on the evidence we have available to us. Not even so much the "he-said-she-said" of it all, mostly the content of those actual voice recordings which are horribly familiar to me.

TheGingerAlien

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on April 13, 2022, 11:40:00 PM... the content of those actual voice recordings which are horribly familiar to me.

Yes, this. Really unnerving stuff.

up_the_hampipe

Yeah, thanks for the rundown, Noods! That's more or less what I had suspected, but I always felt I was losing track of it along the way. I saw a lot of people disgusted by the Depp texts with Bettany. Those just looked like the airing of frustrations in an extreme manner, although probably not how someone should speak about their partner, so I thought I'd missed some other evidence against him recently.

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: up_the_hampipe on April 13, 2022, 11:59:08 PMYeah, thanks for the rundown, Noods! That's more or less what I had suspected, but I always felt I was losing track of it along the way. I saw a lot of people disgusted by the Depp texts with Bettany. Those just looked like the airing of frustrations in an extreme manner, although probably not how someone should speak about their partner, so I thought I'd missed some other evidence against him recently.

His loss in the Sun libel case is being used as evidence that he is officially a wife-beater - but that's not really what the case needed to prove. The tabloids aren't subject to "reasonable doubt" clauses - they can suggest basically whatever they want so long as it's determined there's a more or less "official" reason for them to suggest it. So unless Depp could conclusively prove that he hadn't done everything Heard was accusing him of, it was a no-win situation. Probably a poor move on his legal team's part.

The stink of it was enough to get him fired from Fantastic Beasts etc., but Heard's camp still hasn't presented all that much solid evidence for her claims, and most of the presented and released evidence tends to favour Depp so far (the recordings, the witnesses, the hospital reports regarding his severed finger etc.) So this "final boss" trial in Virginia is likely where we'll get some sort of closure on the issue - I imagine each legal team will be presenting absolutely everything they have.

Regardless of the outcome, Depp's career has been practically ruined because of this - especially since he'd sort of rebranded himself as a kids/tween movie icon with Pirates and Fantastic Beasts. Heard's career ... it's difficult to say. She'll never be a megastar, but it's doubtful she would've been anyway.

Martin Van Buren Stan

Just turned this on and immediately heard Depp say "dropped a...grumpy onto the bed". Had to rewind it to realise what a grumpy is.

Noodle Lizard

It's annoying how flowery he's trying to describe things, as if he's showing off on the stand. And the shades, fucking hell. Drop the act for a moment.

Martin Van Buren Stan

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on April 20, 2022, 09:02:10 PMIt's annoying how flowery he's trying to describe things, as if he's showing off on the stand. And the shades, fucking hell. Drop the act for a moment.

Shades as in sunglasses? He isn't wearing any.

up_the_hampipe

I tuned in for a moment and he was describing what Coachella is.

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Martin Van Buren Stan on April 20, 2022, 09:05:58 PMShades as in sunglasses? He isn't wearing any.

Ah fair enough, I was just going from some of the photos I'd seen. I guess he was wearing them during other people's testimonies.


Lord Mandrake

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on April 20, 2022, 09:02:10 PMIt's annoying how flowery he's trying to describe things, as if he's showing off on the stand. And the shades, fucking hell. Drop the act for a moment.

I started watching and quickly became mesmerised by his...every...word. He's either sedated or really beleives his every utterence is so...profound...That it must be delivered with... extra gravity. He took literally 30mins to describe his preperation for fucking Jack Sparrow. Guilty!

Twit 2

He's a witless, inarticulate, mumbling slob.

Lord Mandrake

But he's read Hemmingway and....er.....erm... Salinger!

Martin Van Buren Stan

Quote from: Twit 2 on April 20, 2022, 09:53:35 PMHe's a witless, inarticulate, mumbling slob.

I'm not sure about slob but I agree with the rest. It's actually quite surprising how dim he seems, unless it's part of a pre rehearsed act organised by his legal team.

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: Martin Van Buren Stan on April 20, 2022, 09:57:27 PMI'm not sure about slob but I agree with the rest. It's actually quite surprising how dim he seems, unless it's part of a pre rehearsed act organised by his legal team.

He's always been a bit like that. He's something of a sponge, ingesting and appropriating personality traits and quirks or even manners of speaking from his various idols like Hunter Thompson, Keith Richards, Shane MacGowan (he started adopting an Irish accent in some interviews) etc. and it becomes more and more of a mess as time goes on. I feel like many people (myself included) are somewhat guilty of that in their teens or even into their 20s, but it's a bit odd to see a man approaching 60 still struggling to be himself. Understandable, given his career, but he gives me second-hand embarrassment more often than not. If anything, he seemed more "himself" in his pre-Sparrow days - quiet and a bit shy, but more or less consistent.

That being said, I've only just watched some of his testimony and he comes off better than some of the pulled quotes imply. He's clearly not the brightest, and probably not an especially interesting or unique person underneath the various masks, which is a perfect recipe for insecurity.

I'm not quite sure why he's expected to give his full life/career story, though. I understand questions about his childhood and relationship with his parents, but is it relevant to hear about how he didn't like 21 Jump Street?

Noodle Lizard

I'd appreciate his assertion that he's always felt more like a musician than an actor, that music was his true passion in life, if the ultimate product of that ambition (with all the money and connections and influence in the world) wasn't The Hollywood Vampires - who are, of course, the worst band ever.

The Mollusk

I saw some tiny clip earlier with some testimony about Heard not wanting to be in the house because it was a bunch of old men playing guitar and I'll admit I laughed. Given the context it's obviously bleak and quite sad but... Yeah, I wouldn't wanna be around that guy and a guitar.

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on April 20, 2022, 10:25:34 PMHe's something of a sponge, ingesting and appropriating personality traits and quirks or even manners of speaking from his various idols like Hunter Thompson, Keith Richards, Shane MacGowan (he started adopting an Irish accent in some interviews) etc. and it becomes more and more of a mess as time goes on. I feel like many people (myself included) are somewhat guilty of that in their teens or even into their 20s, but it's a bit odd to see a man approaching 60 still struggling to be himself.

Haha, yeah, there was this tomboy in school called Judith that I had a mad crush on and she would leave her sleeves unbuttoned and let them flop about and make all these limp wristed gestures and I just started copying her moves and the way she spoke and stuff.

Embarrassing when you think back. I must have looked like some right simpering mini me.

A girl that was into iron maiden and guns n roses and playing football. It was just too much for my young mind to take and instead of asking her out, I just started following her around and turning into her instead :D

Noodle Lizard

Quote from: The Mollusk on April 20, 2022, 10:51:21 PMI saw some tiny clip earlier with some testimony about Heard not wanting to be in the house because it was a bunch of old men playing guitar and I'll admit I laughed. Given the context it's obviously bleak and quite sad but... Yeah, I wouldn't wanna be around that guy and a guitar.

Yes, that made me laugh too. Although - and not to victim blame or anything - when you marry an older guy who fancies himself a bit of a rockstar, that kind of misery is exactly what you can expect.


Goldentony

im so so fucken sorry I took the fucken dog to australia man, jesus christ, please fuckin forgive me australia and its people, please fuckin forgive me, it was just a dog for fuck sake, please

Buelligan

When he came to our village, he seemed like a nice ordinary man.  He's a vegan who likes dogs.  That's all I know about that.

Janie Jones

Yes, as noted in this 2016 thread on Depp/Heard, he was lovely to someone I know who worked for him for a bit

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=53851.0

Quote from: Buelligan on April 21, 2022, 09:18:24 AMWhen he came to our village, he seemed like a nice ordinary man.  He's a vegan who likes dogs.  That's all I know about that.

You are Juliette Binoche and I claim my £10.

jobotic

Whatever the truth behind the accusations he has for many many years seemed like a prize plum.

The Mollusk

The concert video of Marilyn Manson doing "The Beautiful People" while Depp plays guitar and Ninja from Die Antwoord sings the chorus with all three of them pissed as fuck and making sloppy embarrassing tits of themselves should be used by substance abuse campaigns warning against the dangers of alcohol.

Dr Rock

I find him  to be a nice man, boring in a way, but sometimes interesting too. What I don't understand is why we need all the stuff about how he created Jack Sparrow etc.

the science eel

He's a nice fella easily influenced by bad boys. He reminds me very much of Brando in bits of the televised court appearance.

Didn't he play guitar on some Oasis album or something?

JamesTC

Quote from: the science eel on April 21, 2022, 12:35:07 PMDidn't he play guitar on some Oasis album or something?

He was at Mustique when Noel was there doing demos for Be Here Now. He played the opening to the song Fade In-Out and they ended up using it on the final version as nobody could improve on it.