Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial ends: Key takeaways from closing statements

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation trial came to an end on May 27, 2022, with lawyers from both sides making their closing statements. The jury decision is awaited by the court, and the millions of fans of the two actors across the world.

The six-week trial began on April 11 and took place in Virginia, US. On May 27, Ben Chew first made the closing statement from Team Depp, followed by Ben Rottenborn's closing statement for Amber Heard.

The closing statements were then argued against by Depp team’s Camilla Vasquez and Heard team’s Elaine Bredehoft.

Depp's closing statement:  A member of Depp’s legal team, Ben Chew, presented the jury with Depp’s closing statement.

Chew talked about the #MeToo movement in his closing statement. He said, “#MeToo is an important movement, but it's for true survivors, not Ms Heard.” He also said that no previous partners of Depp had ever claimed or testified during the trial that he had been physically abusive towards them.

In his statement, Chew called Depp “no saint” and added that, “He (Depp) owns his flaws; he admits to them; but he is not a violent abuser.”

Chew concluded the statement saying, 'It's about restoring his (Depp's) lost reputation. It's about showing Mr Depp's children, Lily-Rose and Jack, that the truth is worth fighting for. It's about restoring Mr Depp's name and standing in the community to the fullest extent that you can, and you can do something.”

Heard's closing statement: Amber Heard’s lawyer Ben Rottenborn's closing statement involved the US Constitution and 'hell'.

Rottenborn started off the statement by saying, “This whole case is about blaming Amber Heard for things she didn’t do. But that’s what Mr Depp does; that’s what he’s always done: blame other people, refuse to take accountability. But the problem for him here is he’s running headlong into the United States Constitution.”

Rottenborn went on to say, “Most of what you have heard in this trial; you do not need to make a decision on” and called the entire trial “victim blaming at its most disgusting”.

Further, Rottenborn invoked the US Constitution’s First Amendment and said, “Does the First Amendment give Ms Heard the right to write the words she wrote in this article on December 18, 2018? Should someone be able to write an article like that in the United States of America without going through hell?”

“Just because people might read the article and remember that Amber Heard used to be married to Johnny Depp and she accused him of abuse, doesn’t mean that she designed and intended defamatory implications in writing about herself,” Rottenborn continued in his closing statement.

Rottenborn also called Depp ‘vindictive’ and Heard, 'a public figure representing domestic abuse' in his statement. He also said that if the jury thinks Heard was abused even once by Depp, she wins this case.

At the end of his closing statement, Rottenborn said, “The facts are absolute overwhelming of abuse. Any damage to Mr Depp’s career is self-caused.”

Depp's rebuttal: Social media favourite Camilla Vasquez provided rebuttal to Rottenborn’s closing statement by calling Heard a liar, and said that by claiming to be a domestic abuse victim, Heard had committed 'an act of profound cruelty'.

Vasquez also shot back at Rottenborn’s claim that if Heard was abused once, she wins this case. She argued, “What we have is a mountain of unproven allegations that are wild, over-the-top, and implausible. You can't pick and choose which to believe. Either Mr Depp sexually assaulted Ms Heard with a bottle in Australia, or Ms Heard got up on that stand, in front of all of you, and made up that horrific tale of abuse. Either she's a victim of truly horrific abuse, or she is a woman who is willing to say absolutely anything.”

Vasquez further argued that Heard had orchestrated the press to be around her when she went to court to obtain a restraining order against Depp in May 2016. She claimed that Heard had ensured that a group of photographers was present to take pictures of her 'staged injuries' and asked the jury to give Depp his life back.

Vasquez also challenged Heard’s claims for damages and highlighted the testimony of Warner Bros executive, Walter Hamada, who testified that Heard’s role was reduced in Aquaman 2 but her paycheck was not.

Heard's rebuttal: Elaine Bredehoft’s rebuttal to Chew’s closing statement was quick and concise. She focused on the effect Depp’s statements have had on Heard’s career and focused on Hamada’s testimony that said that Aquaman stars Jason Momoa and James Wan emailed him saying that they wanted Heard to be included in the next installment of the movie.

Bredehoft further argued, “Johnny Depp sued for $50 million, and we sent a message back saying, 'Fine, then we’re gonna sue for $100 million because look what you did to her.' We’re not asking you to give $100 million, we’re asking you to just look at the damages in this case and just be fair and reasonable in whatever you determine.”

The jury is all set to return after Memorial Day weekend (May 28-29) to give its final verdict. The final verdict is awaited today, May 30.