The Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial will hear closing arguments today, May 27, after weeks of eyebrow-raising moments in court.
A range of allegations was heard over the course of the last month and now both sides’ legal teams have the chance to put their closing arguments to the jury.
Heard alleged grim accounts of sexual assault by Depp, while he denies he abused her and said the allegations are “unimaginably brutal, cruel, and all false”.
The case has brought waves of interest from around the world, who have been able to follow what is being said in the Virginia courtroom as the trial develops.
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A bizarre tribal nature has emerged in support of them, with reports of one Depp fan bringing alpacas to the Fairfax court every day in the hope of cheering him up.
Depp is suing his ex-wife for more than £39 million for claiming in a Washington Post op-ed that she was the victim of domestic abuse. Heard is counter-suing for double the figure.
When will there be a verdict in the Depp vs Heard trial?
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It is not possible to speculate on when there will be a verdict in the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard defamation case. It is up to the jury to decide how long they take to reach a verdict, and they could do so in a few hours, or take several days.
However, Judge Penney Azcarate said the jury would not return from deliberation until Tuesday (May 31) after the holiday weekend in the US.
They are likely to consider the key moments of the trial and have heard a range of testimony, including assessments of the pair’s mental state from experts, as well as from Depp’s ex, supermodel Kate Moss.
Heard and Depp both gave emotional testimony under questioning in court, speaking about alleged past incidents as audio of the pair appearing to argue came up in the trial.
What outcome could there be in the Depp vs Heard trial?
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The jury has to decide if Amber Heard’s Washington Post article amounted to defamation against Johnny Depp.
In Virginia, the jury must come to a unanimous decision on the outcome. If they cannot, there will be a hung jury and the judge may declare a mistrial.
A panel of seven jurors and four alternates can also recommend – if they do believe the article was defamatory – Depp should be awarded less than the full damages he is suing for.
Awarding in favour of Heard means she will not have to pay her ex-husband any money and could be awarded the £78mil figure she countersued him for.
The jury can also recommend to the judge in this scenario that the figure is too high and that a lower one should be paid out.
The judge rejected a motion to dismiss the countersuit against the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor.
As the case is a civil trial, not a criminal one, neither Heard nor Depp will be sent to prison based on whatever the outcome of the trial may be.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
