London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 20, 2025

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: Heard giving 'performance of her life'

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard: Heard giving 'performance of her life'

Lawyers for Johnny Depp branded Amber Heard a liar, "obsessed" with her image, in opening arguments of the defamation trial between the former spouses.
The case was brought after an article by Heard in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.

But Ms Heard's team argued Mr Depp brought her to court simply to "destroy her".

Mr Depp, 58, has denied any abuse and has sued his ex-wife for $50m (£38m).

Ms Heard has in turn, sued him, with a $100m counterclaim.

Hordes of fans have already gathered outside the Virginia court for the trial, expected to last up to seven weeks.

At issue in the trial is Ms Heard's 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post, describing herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse". Mr Depp says the article - which does not mention him by name - is defamatory and derailed his career.

Beginning a day of opening arguments, Camille Vasquez, a lawyer for Mr Depp, told jurors Ms Heard had been the aggressor throughout the relationship.

Ms Heard concocted a role for herself as victim, Ms Vasquez said, once Mr Depp had asked her for a divorce in attempt to "avoid humiliation".

"She is obsessed with her public image," she said. "She has been living and breathing this role for years now and she is preparing to give the performance of her life."

Lawyers for Ms Heard instead claimed the actress had endured emotional, verbal and physical harassment at the hands of Mr Depp.

Mr Depp wants to "haunt her, to wreck her career", attorney Ben Rottenborn said.

Christi Dembrowski, Mr Depp's older sister, was first on the witness stand. Responding to questions from Mr Depp's lawyer, Ms Dembrowski described a volatile childhood, shaped by their mother's abuse.

"Mom would, she would scream, she would yell. She would hit [Dad], call him names," Ms Dembrowski said. Mr Depp never fought back, she said.

Ms Dembrowski described her famous sibling as a gentle and loving brother, son and father to his two children.

According to Ms Dembrowski, her brother's demeanour changed when he became involved with Ms Heard. "He seemed sadder," she said.

Ms Heard would often insult Mr Depp, Ms Dembrowski said, recalling an instance when Dior wanted to hire Mr Depp for an advertisement campaign.

"She [Ms Heard] said, 'Dior, why would Dior want to do business with you? You don't have style... She called him an old fat man," Ms Dembrowski said.

Mr Depp's sister told jurors she was "devastated" by the news that Mr Depp would marry Ms Heard, and fearful that her brother's relationship was mirroring that of their parents.

"If I'm honest, I debated going [to the wedding]," she said. "I wanted to make sure that I showed up anyway, because I wanted to make sure, honestly, that my little brother knew I was going to be there no matter what."

Ms Dembrowski is the first of an estimated 120 witnesses who will be called to testify in Virginia in the coming weeks, helping to sketch competing accounts of Mr Depp and Ms Heard's relationship.

On Sunday, ahead of the trial, Ms Heard released a statement to Instagram, writing that she has "always maintained a love for Johnny".

"It brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world," she said.

"Words matter!"

The words were delivered with a flourish, the beginning of a case about how Johnny Depp had been wounded, emotionally and materially by the words of Amber Heard. Benjamin Chew, leading Johnny Depp's legal team, laid out what we are about to witness, a case that will try to portray Amber Heard as a liar, a "troubled" and "manipulative" woman who was, they say, the real abuser.

The opening statement was delivered with all the slickness of a Hollywood movie, you almost felt there was going to be a round of applause at the end but, inside the court, all was calm.

Johnny Depp sat silently, carefully watching the lawyers' presentations to the jury of 11. Amber Heard, impassive, attentive, occasionally appearing to take notes.

Watching was a crowd made up largely of Depp fans. Before court proceedings began they were warned to keep phones hidden, not to take pictures, there would be no shouting of 'we love you, Johnny.' But as it began there was not a murmur or a sign of movement. Confidence was high that this would vindicate their idol.

This is going to be, they feel, the full story with evidence from forensic experts, a counsellor, the police and friends. Johnny Depp may have lost his case in London - this they feel will be different.

Amber Heard's legal team then presented the challenge. Yes, she had accused him of abuse but that was not what her article in the Washington Post was about. She did not name Johnny Depp, she did not write the headline and in America there is a special constitutional protection for words written in the newspapers.

Most lawyers would agree that bringing a successful libel action in America is much harder than in the UK and in the case in Britain, the judge came down firmly on the side of Amber Heard's version of events.

Today, however, was just an overture. Jurors were warned that what was to come would be graphic, neither side said they wanted to reveal the details of their turbulent private life and celebrity friends but that is now where we are.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
×