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Editor’s Note: Some testimonies contain graphic language and descriptions of sexual and physical assault.
The civil trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continued Tuesday as Heard’s legal team let his case rest. The trial of Depp’s $50 million lawsuit and Heard’s $100 million counterclaim enters its sixth week.
Judge Penney Azcarate denied a motion by Depp’s attorneys to dismiss a $100 million counterclaim she had filed against Depp. The countersuit alleges that Depp’s then-attorney, Adam Waldman, defamed Heard when he called her allegations of abuse a hoax.
Azcarate said the bar for denying a claim before it goes to the jury is extraordinarily high, and said there was enough evidence to move on. She had already ruled that Depp could be held accountable for statements made by his attorney, a dispute of principle by Depp’s team.
Depp is suing Heard for defamation in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 comment she wrote in the Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure who advocates domestic violence.” His lawyers say he was defamed by the article, although he never mentioned his name.
CBS News has confirmed that Depp’s team is expected to call supermodel Kate Moss, who dated Depp in the 1990s. Heard previously testified that during a fight in 2015, she recalled an alleged incident in which Depp pushed Moss down a flight of stairs. That opened the door for Depp’s attorneys to put Moss on the witness stand.
dope has denied He has ever hit Heard and says she is the culprit in the relationship. Heard testifies about it more than a dozen separate instances of physical abuse that she says were sustained at Depp’s hands.
Also on Tuesday, DC Films President Walter Hamara testified that Amber Heard lacked chemistry with Aquaman star Jason Momoa and the studio was considering accepting her in the sequel to the blockbuster Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom replace, which is to appear next spring.
Hamara said in court: “It’s like what makes a movie star a movie star? You know it when you see it. And the chemistry wasn’t there.”
Hamara’s testimony contrasts with claims by Heard’s attorneys that her role was scaled back and almost entirely dropped from the sequel due to public backlash over her allegations of abuse against Depp.
Depp’s attorneys also called the actor’s personal physician, Dr. David A. Kulber, on the witness stand. Heard’s attorneys called a hand surgeon who hadn’t treated Depp, who testified to the star’s injury to his finger It was unlikely to have occurred as he claimed.
Wayne Dennison, Depp’s attorney, also tried to get expert Dr. Discrediting David Spiegel, who was called by Heard’s legal team and said during previous testimonies that he did not personally speak to Depp or evaluate him, but that he had statements, medical records, videos and other evidence.
Dennison asked if Spiegel could accurately assess Depp without ever having spoken to him. He also noted that the doctor called Depp an idiot during a recorded statement.
“So I’m thinking back to where he came from from Europe for a statement, a video statement that he made that he did overnight the night before,” Spiegel said. “And I think I said that … if you’re doing an important thing for a process that you’re involved with, I think you’d be an idiot to come the night before.”
Dennison also questioned why Spiegel thought Depp’s use of an earphone on film sets was a sign of cognitive problems.
“Maybe Hollywood stars get leads through earbuds all the time. And I don’t know, you could say that,” said Spiegel. “It sounded unusual to me when you’re doing a movie and you don’t know the lines. But like you said, I’m just judging what I’m doing with speaking engagements, and that would never happen. “
While it had been reported that Heard’s attorneys would summon Depp to testify Monday, they did not. Depp’s attorneys plan to recall the star to the witness stand ahead of Friday’s closing arguments.
Both Depp and Heard have previously opened up about the details of their toxic relationship.