JOHNNY Depp will go to his grave with people thinking he abused a woman, his multimillion-dollar US libel trial against ex-wife Amber Heard was told.
His lawyers accused Heard of preparing to give the “performance of a lifetime” as round two of their bitter legal war kicked off in Fairfax, Virginia.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 58, is suing Heard, 35, over a 2018 Washington Post article she wrote.
Although Heard did not name Depp, she described herself as a victim of “sexual violence”.
He says her claims of abuse were fake, and that they ruined his career and were designed to boost hers.
Depp’s future is on the line after he already lost a 2020 lawsuit against The Sun in the UK. A High Court judge ruled we were right to describe him as a “wife-beater”.
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If he loses the six-week US trial, his career will be all but over.
The former couple were both in court as opening statements began.
Camille Vasquez, representing Depp, told the jury of eight men and three women: “Mr Depp will go to his grave knowing that whatever he does there will always be people who believe he abused a woman.”
She said of his ex: “She’s been living and breathing this lie for years. She is preparing to give the performance of a lifetime in this trial.”
Depp is suing Heard for $50million (£38million) and she has counter-sued him for $100million (£76million) over claims his lawyer made about her.
Ms Vasquez claimed Depp’s friends had seen “the real Miss Heard”.
The lawyer told the jury: “She would berate him, scream at him. He would try to appease… but it would always happen again.”
But Depp was accused by Heard’s lawyers of “verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse” triggered by drugs and alcohol.
Elaine Bredehoft, for Heard, told the jury that although Depp was “charismatic and charming” he would become a monster when he was drinking and on drugs.
The court heard that at one point Depp admitted to Heard in tears: “I thought I could put the monster away for good.”
Ms Bredehoft said he would “accuse her of sleeping with every one of her co-stars”, and being obsessed with tech mogul Elon Musk, who had a relationship with Heard.
The case continues.
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