Depp V Heard (2023) s01e01 Episode Script
Truth on Trial
1
[sweeping brooding music plays]
[people in crowd] Johnny!
[man] You'll never make it out of the bay.
[Jack Sparrow] Son,
I'm Captain Jack Sparrow.
Savvy?
[reporter 1] He's one of Hollywood's
biggest and most successful stars.
[reporter 2] Actors Johnny Depp
and Amber Heard.
[paparazzi yells indistinctly]
[man 1] Johnny! Johnny and Amber!
- [woman] Johnny!
- [man 2] Amber!
[reporter 3] Hundreds of miles away
from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood
[reporter 4] Johnny Depp's defamation
trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard,
is set to start in northern Virginia.
[reporter 5] Just in case you've gotten
lost in the soap opera,
50 million dollar claim by Johnny Depp
that Amber Heard defamed him.
[reporter 6] She wrote a 2018 op-ed
in The Washington Post
referring to herself as a public figure
representing domestic abuse.
[reporter 7] Depp and his legal team
say that Heard is outright lying,
and that those lies
have devastated his career.
[reporter 8] Heard countersued
for 100 million in damages,
alleging the actor's legal team
tried to defame her
by calling her claims a hoax.
[reporter 9] Neither Depp nor Heard
live or work here in Virginia,
but because The Washington Post
has servers here
and a printer here in Virginia,
Fairfax County residents
are gonna decide their fate
in this 50 million dollar case.
[brooding music swells]
All right,
everybody.
Right now, I am on my way
to the Fairfax County Courthouse
to get into line.
[intriguing music plays]
[Darthn3ws] ] Day one of the Johnny Depp
trial. There's gonna be 100 spectators,
and it's gonna be a mix of media
and just civilians,
you know, supporters, fans.
- [crowd cheers]
- [woman 1] Johnny Depp!
[woman 2] Yeah!
I hear it's first come, first serve.
So gotta be there bright and early.
[woman] Oh, wait,
I gotta take a picture of the cushion.
[man 1] Perfect.
[man 2] Oh, okay, I'm going for it.
I love you guys. Pass it along.
Let's flip it up so you guys can see.
- Good morning.
- [crowd members] Good morning.
[DUI Guy+] How are we feeling, line?
[crowd members] Yay.
[DUI Guy+] You know what to do.
Hashtag "respect for the line."
"Justice for the line."
Okay, so if you're, like, official media,
you have to be on that side
of the street, right?
If you're, like, just a fan,
you can be over here.
So I can kind of get, like,
a closer look at Johnny.
Johnny Depp is suing
his ex-wife, Amber Heard,
for 50 million dollars in damages,
claiming she defamed him.
Welcome back. We're getting a closer look
into the lives of Hollywood's elites
as part of the defamation lawsuit
between A-lister Johnny Depp
and ex-wife Amber Heard.
In 2020, Depp lost a lawsuit
against a British tabloid
that labeled him a, quote, "wife-beater."
He and Heard are both expected
to testify at this trial.
[man] Lots of people
are talking about this,
I know there's lots
of livestreams happening.
You can go watch the trial yourself,
make your own opinions of it.
It's online. You can go to YouTube
right now and watch.
Johnny, we love you!
Today is a different kind of show
because we are going to be watching
the opening statements
in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case
and going through them with commentary.
All right, so I got my spectator pass.
That is awesome.
[intriguing music continues]
Okay, so we are up here
on the fifth floor.
That's where his trial's taking place.
Not supposed to be on our phones.
Definitely not supposed
to be recording up here.
[crowd cheering]
[dramatic percussive music plays]
[man, chuckling]
There's no Amber Heard fans.
It's only It's only Johnny Depp fans.
Nobody's there for Amber.
What's up, guys?
Welcome to Lawsplaining,
and I hope you are ready.
[counter ticking]
[Rekieta] This is one of the first
high-profile "Me Too" defamation cases
that's making it into a courtroom.
That is huge news.
Hey, there we are.
There's the man himself, Johnny D.
That's a nice tie! I like that tie.
- Ready for the jury?
- [clerk] Yes, Your Honor.
Okay, great.
So how is it that Court TV
and other stations
are even allowed to broadcast this trial?
Why do we have such crazy access
into the Fairfax County Courthouse?
In Virginia,
that decision is solely up to the judge,
and the judge in this case signed an order
permitting a pool camera
to broadcast the trial.
[Azcarate] Ladies and gentlemen,
we're gonna go over the responsibilities
you have as jurors, okay, in this case.
All right, so you're not to read, watch,
or listen to anything about this case
on any social networking sites.
What you learn about this case
is limited to what you learn
in the four walls of this courtroom.
Okay? Are we ready
with opening statements?
The judge is asking for Johnny Depp's
attorney's opening statement.
Uh, I'm gonna cut to a full screen,
but I will chime in with some commentary
if there are some breaks.
But here we go, live,
uh, on Popcorned Planet here in Virginia.
- [lawyer] Good morning.
- [jury] Morning.
This is a defamation case.
It's a case
about how devastating words can be
when they are false and uttered publicly.
For nearly 30 years,
Mr. Depp built a reputation
as one of the most talented actors
in Hollywood.
[tense music plays]
Today, his name is associated with a lie
uttered by his former wife,
the defendant, Amber Heard,
specifically the words that she used
published in The Washington Post
in December 2018.
Quote, "Two years ago,
I became a public figure
representing domestic abuse."
"I had the rare vantage point
of seeing in real time how institutions
protect men accused of abuse."
Ms. Heard did not use
Mr. Depp's name in the op-ed.
She didn't have to.
Two years earlier,
Ms. Heard had publicly accused
Johnny Depp of domestic abuse.
[ominous music playing]
[man] Amber, did Johnny
give you that bruise on your face?
[reporter] Johnny Depp accused
of domestic abuse in his sudden split
from actress Amber Heard.
[man] Did Johnny brutalize you?
[Chew] In the wake of the Me Too movement,
Amber Heard forever changed
Mr. Depp's life and reputation.
This trial is
about clearing Mr. Depp's name
of a terrible and false allegation.
[Azcarate] All right. Thank you.
Mr. Rottenborn.
- May I approach?
- [Azcarate] Yes, sir.
- Good morning, everyone.
- [jury] Morning.
Mr. Depp's team is gonna try
to turn this case into a soap opera.
Why? [chuckles dryly] I'm not really sure,
because the evidence
isn't pretty for Mr. Depp.
It's not.
You're gonna see
who the real Johnny Depp is,
behind the fame,
behind the pirate costume.
The man who has described himself,
the violent side of himself,
as "the monster."
"The monster."
You don't see The Washington Post
sitting here as a defendant
in this courtroom.
He only sued Amber.
He could've sued The Washington Post,
they published the article, but he didn't.
And he chose
to bring Amber to court here in Virginia,
where she has no ties,
has never lived, he's never lived,
where they never spent any time,
because he wanted to ruin her life,
to haunt her,
to wreck her career.
It's not about the soap opera
that Depp will turn this case into.
It's not about who you like better.
It's not even about whether you agree
with the words that she wrote.
It's about her right to speak them.
[light-hearted music plays]
Johnny Depp has one
of the most brilliant legal teams,
and if you need proof of that,
I've got a word for you, "Virginia."
Why would two celebrities from California
arguing about something written
in The Washington Post
file a case in Virginia?
In the USA,
defamation laws vary state by state,
and Virginia has some
of the best defamation laws
for a matter like this.
Just so we're all on the same page,
this is not a divorce case.
This is not a domestic violence case.
I would argue it's a PR campaign
disguised as a defamation case.
I don't think Johnny's intention
is to win the case here.
I think his intention is to clear his name
and to control his reputation.
There is no PR campaign that has a chance
of making an impact
as powerful as this trial.
Depp was the one who wanted
the cameras in the courtroom.
- [man] Oh, really?
- She didn't.
[tense music plays]
[Azcarate] Your first witness.
[lawyer] Your Honor, we'd like to call
Laura Amber Heard to the stand.
[Azcarate] All right.
[lawyer] Will you please state your name?
Yes, it's Amber Laura Heard.
[lawyer] Okay.
Now, why are you here?
I am here because my ex-husband
is suing me, uh, for an op-ed I wrote.
[lawyer] And how do you feel about that?
I, um [sighs]
I s struggle to have the words.
I struggle to find the words
to describe how, uh, painful this is.
Um, this is horrible.
[tense music continues]
[Azcarate] Okay, all right. Yes, ma'am?
[lawyer] Good afternoon, Mr. Depp.
Good afternoon.
Can you please tell the jury
why you're here today?
Um, yes.
Um
About six years ago,
Ms. Heard made
some quite heinous accusations against me
that, uh
that were not based
in any species of truth.
The infamous People Magazine cover
with Ms. Heard
with a a dark bruise on her face.
Nothing of the kind had ever happened.
Though there were
um,
arguments.
[Depp yelling]
But never did I, myself,
r reach the point
of, um, striking Ms. Heard in any way,
nor have I ever struck, um, any woman.
[gentle music plays]
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize anyone was there,
I thought it was just floating.
It is just floating.
Oh, God.
Why did she have to happen?
Just when I was doing so good without her.
[lawyer] Please describe for the jury
your experience in auditioning
for The Rum Diary.
Well, I auditioned a few times,
which is common in my work,
and then I got a call saying
that Johnny wanted to meet me in person.
Um
I thought I would be going
for maybe an audition.
Um But it was just a meeting.
I went to his office, um,
and and met with him for a few hours.
She came to my office.
I took one look at her and I thought,
"Yep, that's the one."
That's when I first met Ms. Heard.
We talked about books and music, poetry.
Um, we like a lot of the same
We liked a lot of the same stuff.
I was so surprised that somebody
You know, I'm a no-name actor.
I was 22, I think.
And he was twice my age
and he's this world-famous actor,
and here we are getting along
about [sighs]old blues,
and I thought
it was unusual and remarkable.
I left there just feeling
like, "Wow." [chuckles]
[shower running]
[Depp] I remember there was a scene
where I was taking a shower
and then she comes into the room
and she walks,
opens the shower, and we kiss.
It felt like something
that I shouldn't be feeling.
There are certain things that you do
in the job to, um, be professional,
like when you have to do
that sort of scene,
and you don't, like you [chuckles]
you don't use your tongue
if you can't if you can avoid it.
There's certain things that you do
to just maintain a certain line,
and it just felt
like those lines were blurred.
I mean, he grabbed my face
and pulled me into him
and really kissed me.
- [lawyer] Did he use his tongue?
- Yes.
That day after work,
Ms. Heard, uh, had come to my trailer.
He kind of playfully kind of pushed me
down on this, like, bed-sofa,
uh, that was in his trailer, just playful,
um, and flirtatious,
and he said, uh, "Yum."
[mellow jazz music plays]
Meeting an actress like Amber Heard,
she's of another era, you know.
I mean, it's like walking into a room
and meeting Veronica Lake or Bette Davis,
or, you know, Lauren Bacall.
I called her "Slim."
I called her "Slim"
and she called me "Steve."
What do you think you're gonna do?
I'm gonna get that wallet, Slim.
You know, Steve,
I wouldn't put it past you.
[Depp] My God,
when Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall,
that's when they met, on that film,
he was 45 years old and she was 19.
What'd you do that for?
- Been wondering whether I'd like it.
- What's the decision?
I don't know yet.
[Depp] They stayed together
until Bogart passed away.
So, I acknowledge the the fact
that I was the old, craggy Bogey,
and she was this beautiful creature,
just this stunning creature.
[Heard] It was a beautiful place,
a beautiful time,
and, uh, I fell
head over heels in love with this man.
[Depp] She seemed
to be the perfect partner.
Literate, sweet, funny.
She was, uh She was wonderful.
[voice breaking] There wasn't any love
like that, you know? I mean
And then, uh he would
disappear.
[aggressive grime music plays]
Hello everybody, welcome to Darthn3ws.
This is gonna be a day one recap.
I was in the courtroom,
I was sitting there live, in person.
So I'm just gonna give you
my first-hand account.
I'm not a legal scholar, I'm not a lawyer.
I do this for fun.
But I have, like, a dog in the fight
because I actually give a fuck
about Johnny Depp.
And men's rights.
[chanting] Amber! Amber! Amber!
- [noise makers blow]
- Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!
Can you describe
your relationship with Mr. Depp?
Do you remember
the first time that he physically hit you?
- Yes.
- [lawyer] Please tell the jury about it.
[sniffles]
[suspenseful music plays]
[sighs heavily]
I will never forget it.
It changed my life.
I I was sitting on the couch,
and I ask him
about the tattoo he has on his arm.
I didn't know what it said,
it just looked like muddled,
faded tattoo that was hard to read.
Well, the the, um
what it, uh a tattoo,
which used to say "Winona Forever,"
who was a former girlfriend, Winona Ryder,
and, uh, when we broke up,
I took off the last two letters
and had it say "Wino Forever."
[Heard] I didn't see that.
I thought he was joking
because it didn't look
like it said that at all, and I laughed,
and he slapped me across the face.
I just stared at him,
kind of l-laughing still,
thinking that he was gonna start
laughing too, to tell me it was a joke,
but he didn't.
He said, "You think it's so funny?
You think it's funny, bitch?"
"You think you're a funny bitch?"
And he slapped me again.
Hard.
I was just sitting there
looking at the dirty carpet,
wondering why I never noticed
that the carpet was so filthy before.
and I just didn't know what else to do,
I didn't know what to say,
I didn't know how to react
because, "God, did he just hit me?"
[sobs softly]
[lawyer] Mr. Depp,
what is your response to that?
It
It didn't It It didn't happen.
I have never struck Ms. Heard.
[sobbing] I wish I could sit here
and say I stood up,
and I walked out of that house
and I drew a line
and I stood up for myself.
I was just looking at the
dirty carpet,
trying to will myself to get up.
I was
heartbroken.
[video chimes]
She's acting.
She's lying.
[sighs]
[lawyer] Will you please
state your name for the record?
Whitney Henriquez.
- [lawyer] And you're Amber's sister?
- I am.
Describe your relationship
with Mr. Depp in the early stages.
We got along really well at first.
Um, he was sober at the time,
and Johnny, when he's sober,
is very bright and beautiful and lovely
and kind and generous,
and he was very easy to get to know.
And frankly, we all
fell in love with him at first.
But, very quickly, this pattern emerged,
uh, as their relationship went on
that if Johnny was using
or if he was drinking,
there was almost always a fight.
[brooding ethereal music plays]
Johnny, when sober, was lovely
and magical and very funny.
Cocaine and any kind of alcohol
[sighs]would bring out
a very, very ugly side of him.
Um, very misogynistic and cruel.
He was almost unrecognizable
when he was drinking
and using to an excess.
He would just get very angry,
and he would just say
really horrible things about her.
He would weave these elaborate situations
in which Amber was having affairs
with every man that she ever worked with
and every woman
she ever came in contact with.
He He became very demeaning.
You know, "She has no talent,
and when her tits start to sag
and her face gets wrinkly,
nobody is gonna be interested in her."
He called her
"a fucking used-up trash bag," uh,
"slimy whore," "saggy whore."
You know, "fucking cunt"
was thrown out a bunch.
Um, just horrible things like that.
[object clatters forcefully]
- [clattering]
- [Depp exclaims]
[Depp yells] Motherfucker!
Motherfucker!
[Heard] What happened?
[tense music plays]
[glasses clink]
[Heard] Nothing happened this morning,
you know that? All I did was say sorry.
[Depp] Did something happen to you
- [glass shatters]
- this morning? I don't think so.
Um No. That's the thing.
You wanna see crazy?
I'll give you fucking crazy.
Here's crazy.
All your crazy. Are you crazy?
[Heard] Have you drunk
this whole thing this morning?
[Depp] Oh, you got this going?
You got this going?
- [Heard] No, I just started it.
- Oh, really?
- [Heard] Yes.
- Really?
[tense music intensifies]
[forceful clattering]
So she's trying to record him
without him even knowing that.
[lawyer] Why did you
videotape this, Amber?
Yeah, good question.
'Cause I knew he
- wouldn't remember. He'd deny it.
- [lawyer 2] Objection.
- Calls for speculation.
- [Azcarate] Sustained.
When somebody breaks something
in anger in your presence,
that is legally an act of abuse.
And he is he's Look at him.
I mean, he's kicking stuff,
he's slamming stuff, he's breaking stuff.
She's like, "Hey what's going on?"
And, here, I know he wasn't hitting her,
but he was doing
some very aggressive things,
and directly in her presence.
And if she's coming in and saying, like,
"Well, hey, here's this confrontation
that happened."
"I was intimidated by it.
I felt this was an act of abuse,"
then she can give her opinion,
that "I was in an abusive relationship."
I'm not, you know, trying
to defend her or say it,
but I'm just saying, you know,
it's it's a huge problem for him.
- Morning, Mr. Depp.
- Morning, Mr. Rottenborn.
Mr. Depp, we've talked
about this, uh, a little bit,
but you've testified that abuse
can come in many forms, correct?
Physical being one of them?
- Indeed.
- [Rottenborn] Verbal?
[Depp] Indeed.
Psychological abuse?
[Depp] Indeed.
And you would agree that you were violent
in that clip, correct?
Um
Clearly, I was having a bad time.
I thought what what was most interesting
is that she tried to hide it from me,
and then that she laughed
and smiled at the end.
I thought that was
the most interesting part myself.
But So, yes.
- [Rottenborn] You didn't react
- I did assault, um, a couple of cabinets.
But I did not touch Ms. Heard.
- And
- As you can see, I think. No?
[Rottenborn] You may have been drunk
in that video, correct?
There's a possibility of that. Yes, sir.
You You You poured yourself
a, um, a megapint of red wine, correct?
- A megapint?
- [people laughing]
[Rottenborn] Yeah.
I poured myself a large glass of wine.
- [Rottenborn] Right.
- I thought it necessary.
[man] Wait for it.
[Rottenborn speaking]
[breezy elevator music plays]
[Depp speaking]
[man screaming]
[dramatic Pirates of the Caribbean
theme music plays]
[Depp] A megapint? [echoing]
I poured myself a large glass
of wine. [echoing rhythmically]
[electronic drums play rhythmically]
[processed vocals repeat rhythmically]
Megapint, megapint, megapint ♪
[music intensifies]
[rhythmically] A-A-A-A-A megapint? ♪
[music continues]
[man] The lawyer conducting
Johnny Depp's cross-examination said,
"We saw you pour a sort of"
Johnny Depp says, "A megapint."
The lawyer says, "A megapint of red wine,
which is not everybody's choice
for breakfast, is it?"
Megapint, megapint, megapint ♪
Megapint, megapint ♪
[music intensifies]
[edited rhythmically] A megapint?
- [crowd chattering indistinctly]
- [man] That's Amber.
[crowd jeering]
[Cevallos] All she needs to prove
is that he abused her. I say "all,"
but either she's making everything up,
or there's been abuse.
[crowd cheering]
[Cevallos] It's not only social media,
but when his SUV pulls up at court,
no matter what Amber Heard alleges,
there's a crowd out there
who are just gobsmacked by Johnny Depp.
[crowd chanting] Johnny, Johnny, Johnny!
[Limor] Remember, none of us were there.
With us, it's, "Who do we believe?"
But never, ever forget, we were not there.
[lawyer] Good morning, Mr. Depp.
Good morning.
Mr. Depp,
I'd like to discuss April 2016 now.
- [lawyer] Um
- Mmm.
[brooding music plays]
[Shaw] We'll take a look at this gem
in the historic core of downtown LA.
This is the Eastern Columbia building,
one of the most prestigious places
to live in downtown Los Angeles.
Johnny Depp owned five penthouses here.
This art deco gem at the corner
of Broadway and Ninth.
My birthday was coming up, and we had
a dinner planned at our penthouse.
He, uh, told me at some point that day
that he had scheduled a business meeting,
or a "a money meeting,"
I think he said, maybe.
[Depp] I was about an hour
and 40 minutes late, maybe,
something like that.
[lawyer] Mr. Depp,
when you arrived at the party,
how did Ms. Heard greet you, if at all?
Very cold.
It was a big deal to you
that Mr. Depp was late
to your birthday dinner, wasn't it?
Yeah, it Yeah, it did matter to me.
And you were upset he was late.
I was. I was hurt.
She squared off at me
in the doorway of our bedroom.
I I remember him blocking the door,
blocking me to get out,
kind of shoving me down,
and, well, we had a a
you know, a verbal argument,
and then that became a shoving match.
I tried to shove him back.
And I said, "Go ahead, hit me."
Bam.
[men laugh]
It's a movie scene.
And then I just said,
"Is that what you wanted?"
"Would you like another?"
I wanna hug this man.
Bam.
There's the second one.
And I said, "Good, now you're done."
Grabbed her by the shoulders,
walked her to the bed,
sat her down, and said,
"Don't follow me."
[chuckles] "Leave me alone."
"I'm out. I'm gone."
Johnny wrestled me down on the bed.
I remember I got up once or twice
before I ended up on the bed,
and he grabbed me. Um
He did this thing that he did sometimes
when he would taunt me,
he'd grab me by the
um, the pubic bone,
just pushed me down, held me down by it,
and kind of pulled me into it,
and, um, was kind of taunting me,
asking me if I thought
I was so fucking tough.
"You think you're
such a fucking tough guy, huh?"
"Are you so tough now?
Look who's so tough. You wanna be a man?"
I went, I grabbed a few things,
and I got out immediately,
and I went to, um
my other house.
But he's saying, "We're fucking done.
We're divorcing. This is over."
And then at 4:30 a.m. on April 22nd,
which is Amber's birthday, he left Amber.
Yes, he leaves Amber, like, "for good,"
quote unquote, on her birthday.
What a savage.
[upbeat rock music plays]
My friends,
this is the patriarchy at work.
Heard's being called a whore,
a gold digger, a crazy bitch,
manipulative, a monster.
He is being given empathy
and forgiveness for his transgressions
in a way Heard is not.
It's victim-blaming at its finest.
This is why people don't report abuse.
So far,
who do you believe in this story here?
- I kinda believe both of 'em. Um
- Okay.
They're on the stand, they're under oath.
- Yeah.
- They're not allowed to lie.
If they get caught in a lie,
it's big trouble.
In terms of it being public, well,
that's, uh that's showbiz, isn't it?
[Vasquez] After your birthday,
you and your friends went to Coachella
to celebrate your birthday.
Is that correct?
That is correct.
[bluesy rock music plays]
[Vasquez] You're featured
in that video driving.
[Heard] That's correct.
[Depp] I had gone
to one of my security team
and said, uh, "She's in Coachella."
"I think it's a good time to go downtown
so that I can get
some of my things." You know?
And he said,
"I don't think now's a good time to go."
Ah.
And I thought, "It's the perfect time.
She's not gonna be home for two days."
And then he showed me
a photograph on his telephone.
[Vasquez] What was the photograph
of, Mr. Depp?
Poop. Say it. Poop!
It was a It was a
[men laughing]
[light-hearted music plays]
It was a photograph of the bed,
and on my side of the bed
um
was human fecal matter.
[laughing]
[laughing]
He knows how fucking stupid it is.
[Depp] My initial response to that,
that some human being
had actually dropped a, uh
[clears throat]
"grumpy" onto the bed
[laughs]
It was so bizarre
and so grotesque
that I could only laugh.
[Azcarate] If you'd raise
your right hand for me.
Do you swear or affirm
to tell the truth under penalty of law?
- I do.
- All right. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Jenkins, do you know
the plaintiff in this case, Johnny Depp?
[Jenkins] Yes, I do.
[lawyer] Were you also going
to Coachella with Ms. Heard?
Yes, I was. I was the transportation
for Amber and her friends
while she was at Coachella.
And did you have
any discussions with Ms. Heard
on the way to Coachella that evening?
We had a conversation
pertaining to the surprise she left
in the boss's bed
prior to leaving the apartment.
And what did Ms. Heard say
about the defecation in Mr. Depp's bed?
A horrible practical joke gone wrong.
[lawyer] Did you commit any kind of prank?
Absolutely not.
First of all, I that
I don't think that's funny.
Period. That's disgusting.
Uh, and she tr-tried
to blame it on the dogs.
[lawyer] What, if any, issues
did Boo have
Oh, they're disparaging the dog!
with bathroom problems, if you will?
[Heard] Johnny's dog, uh,
at at the time, Boo,
she had eaten Johnny's weed
when she was a puppy
and had, uh, bowel control issues.
[Vasquez] Why didn't you think
it could've been the dogs?
They're Teacup Yorkies.
They weigh about four pounds each.
It was clear.
That did not come from a dog.
[driving electronic music plays]
That's probably one of the first times
that he really realized
the depths
of how fucking insane that she was.
[ethereal melancholic music plays]
It was shared on the record
that Depp sent this text,
quote, "Will you squat
in front of the door of the master bedroom
and leave a giant coil of dookie
so that Amber steps in it
and thinks that one of the dogs,
primarily Boo, has a major problem?"
"It'll be funny."
On the 29th of October 2014,
Ms. Heard wrote
in a text message to Kevin Murphy
that, quote, "Last night, she," as in Boo,
"shit on Johnny while he was sleeping,
like all over him, not exaggerating."
Again, public record.
[sweeping classical music plays]
[Vasquez] Mr. Depp, why did you go
over to the penthouses on May 21st, 2016?
[Depp] Ms. Heard had requested,
uh, that I come over to to have a talk.
I I went over there
with my security team,
Jerry Judge and Sean Bett,
just in case anything went down.
- Good morning, Mr. Bett.
- Good morning.
[Rottenborn] Do you see this
on your screen, uh, Mr. Bett?
[Bett] I do.
[Rottenborn] That's you
in that black and white shirt, right?
[Bett] That's me.
[Rottenborn] That's Mr. Depp in the hat,
and that's Mr. Judge to his left.
[Bett] Correct.
[Rottenborn] And this video
is when you're entering
the Eastern Columbia building
to take him to Penthouse Three, correct?
That's correct.
Johnny and I had not seen each other
for the better part of a month.
I mean, I could tell
he was inebriated, but it was peaceful.
And then he starts talking
about the feces again,
and this prank that he said
one of my friends had left for him
in my bed.
Our marriage was falling apart
in front of our eyes,
we hadn't seen each other for a month,
and I couldn't believe
he wanted to talk about feces.
So I call this friend,
thinking that will take care of it.
- And I say
- [lawyer] Tell us who that person is.
Io.
She put me on speakerphone.
She said,
"Johnny thinks that you and I together
defecated on his pillow."
So I started laughing,
and he got very agitated by the fact
that she and I thought it was funny.
And when I realized that he was serious,
I was like, "Okay, look.
You know, first of all,
I wasn't there that day."
It just made Johnny madder.
He got more upset, grabbed the phone,
and started screaming expletives,
insulting names.
And I said to Io, "You can have her now."
"She's yours. She's all yours." Right?
He tosses the the phone, you know,
down on the couch and heads upstairs,
and I pick up the phone.
Io said, "Amber, get out of the house.
Get out of the house now."
"You're not safe."
Johnny came bolting down the stairs,
grabbed the phone from my hand,
just pulls his arm back with the phone,
and throws it at my face.
Hit me right in my
It felt like my my eye.
I was by the refrigerator at this point.
I was 20 feet away.
[Vasquez] Where was Ms. Heard
at that time?
She was still sitting on the couch.
He comes over to me, um, as I'm crying.
He says, "Oh yeah, I hit you, huh?"
"What if I pull your hair back?
What if I pull your hair back?"
He said to her, "Oh, you think I hit you?"
"You think I fucking hit you?"
"What if I peel your fucking hair back?"
And then I heard the phone drop again
and then I heard her scream.
She's still got Io on the phone,
and that's when the screaming started.
"Stop hitting me, Johnny,"
she's screaming.
In In her best, uh,
freaked out, upset voice, high-pitched.
We could hear the screaming
and shouting from Ms. Heard,
so I immediately opened up the door,
and Mr. Judge and I ran in there.
Next thing I hear is, "Boss, boss!"
And I realize that his two security guards
had come into the to the apartment.
She had this look of surprise on her face,
and then she looked at Mr. Depp and us,
and she shouted out loud,
um, "This is the last time
you do this to me."
"That's the last time you'll ever hit me."
"That's the last time
you'll ever do that to me."
And again,
I'm a good 20 feet away, by the fridge.
At which point,
Mr. Depp looked at her and said,
"What the hell are you talking about?"
[Io] I remember her screaming
and I hung up the phone and I called 911.
- [knocking on door]
- [indistinct chatter on police radio]
[man] Hello, officers. How you doing?
[cop] Want to just come in and just check.
We need to make sure
everybody in here is okay and then we
[lawyer] Why didn't you want
to cooperate with the police?
[Heard] Because I I [sighs]
I wanted to protect Johnny.
I didn't want him to be arrested.
[cop] Who's Amber?
You? Okay.
[man] Johnny is definitely not here.
- [cop] He's not here?
- [man] No, sir.
[cop] Everything's all good then?
- [Heard] Now it is, yes.
- [cop] All right.
[Heard] Thank you.
My best friend took pictures of me.
This is my face after the phone incident.
[Vasquez] Did you have
a clear view of Ms. Heard?
I did.
- Did you have a clear view of her face?
- I did.
Did you observe any injuries
on Ms. Heard's face?
None.
Johnny Depp's soon-to-be ex-wife
has received
a domestic violence restraining order
against the movie star.
Amber Heard presented
this photograph in court
as evidence
of the alleged domestic violence.
[reporter 1] Hey, Amber.
[reporter 2] Amber, did Johnny give you
that bruise on your face?
- Did Johnny beat you up?
- [reporter 3] Amber, what
[Depp] I saw that she had gone to a court
and there were paparazzi everywhere,
and her and a, um, brown mark on her face.
[Vasquez] Had you ever been accused
of physically abusing a woman
before this point?
No.
No.
[Depp] Because you started it.
The fact that she's on tape
admitting to hitting Johnny Depp,
for her to have written
this op-ed for The Washington Post
and essentially propped herself up
as a figurehead in the "Me Too" movement.
- Right.
- So to speak.
Yeah, it it I think you
you just feel really betrayed.
It's so triggering to so many people.
[woman] As a victim and a survivor
of domestic violence,
even though it's sexist,
you do want to kind of back the female,
but so far,
I feel like she was more the aggressor.
[man] Look, they can both be wrong.
Amber can be awful.
You can totally believe that,
but we can't use that
as a reason for Johnny Depp to be absolved
of the clearly awful things
that he has done.
[Azcarate] All right. Cross-examination.
Cross-examination. Here we go.
- [Vasquez] Good afternoon, Ms. Heard.
- Good afternoon.
Starting out respectful.
Mr. Depp hasn't looked at you once
this entire trial, has he?
Ooh! No, he has not.
Not that I've noticed, no.
You know exactly why Mr. Depp
won't look back at you, don't you?
I do.
One of the last times
you ever saw Mr. Depp
was when you met
in San Francisco in July of 2016,
and this is after you had obtained
the domestic violence
restraining order against him.
That's correct.
Oh, right into audio.
[tense music plays]
- [Heard] Please.
- [Depp] You won't even
[Heard] Please, please.
[Vasquez] That's you and Mr. Depp
in that recording.
That is.
[Vasquez] And he kept
that promise, hasn't he?
As far as I know, he cannot look at me.
"He cannot."
[Vasquez] He won't look at you,
right, Ms. Heard?
He can't.
[Vasquez] Let's please play
plaintiff exhibit 357A,
which is already in evidence, Your Honor.
[Vasquez] That's your voice
on that recording?
Yes, it is.
You didn't think he would tell the world
he was a victim of domestic violence,
did you?
I thought it would be crazy
for him to do so
knowing what I know we lived through.
[Vasquez] What did you say
in response when Ms. Heard said,
"Tell the world, Johnny."
"Tell them, 'Johnny Depp,
I'm a victim too of domestic violence'"?
I said, "Yes. I am."
[Vasquez] Ms. Heard,
Mr. Depp is your victim, isn't he?
[breathes deeply]
No, ma'am.
And once he left you,
you continued to abuse him publicly
by calling him an abuser, didn't you?
Uh, he is an abuser,
and you can look either of us up online
and figure out who's being abused online.
[bold classical music plays]
[people shouting maliciously]
[chanting] Amber turd! Amber turd!
Amber turd! Amber turd!
[jeering and booing]
This is a battle of optics.
This is not so much about the legal merits
but rather what the public perception is.
[crowd cheers]
[woman 1] If you just look
at public opinion,
no one really believes Amber Heard.
[mock sobbing]
I don't buy it for a Do you buy this?
[woman 2] The hashtag
"Justice for Johnny Depp"
has more than four billion views
on TikTok.
It seems the Internet has made up its mind
without this court case
even coming to a close.
[cheering]
[Vasquez speaking]
[grunts softly]
Yeah, Amber's fucked.
[ominous tone plays]
[sweeping classical music plays]
[sweeping brooding music plays]
[people in crowd] Johnny!
[man] You'll never make it out of the bay.
[Jack Sparrow] Son,
I'm Captain Jack Sparrow.
Savvy?
[reporter 1] He's one of Hollywood's
biggest and most successful stars.
[reporter 2] Actors Johnny Depp
and Amber Heard.
[paparazzi yells indistinctly]
[man 1] Johnny! Johnny and Amber!
- [woman] Johnny!
- [man 2] Amber!
[reporter 3] Hundreds of miles away
from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood
[reporter 4] Johnny Depp's defamation
trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard,
is set to start in northern Virginia.
[reporter 5] Just in case you've gotten
lost in the soap opera,
50 million dollar claim by Johnny Depp
that Amber Heard defamed him.
[reporter 6] She wrote a 2018 op-ed
in The Washington Post
referring to herself as a public figure
representing domestic abuse.
[reporter 7] Depp and his legal team
say that Heard is outright lying,
and that those lies
have devastated his career.
[reporter 8] Heard countersued
for 100 million in damages,
alleging the actor's legal team
tried to defame her
by calling her claims a hoax.
[reporter 9] Neither Depp nor Heard
live or work here in Virginia,
but because The Washington Post
has servers here
and a printer here in Virginia,
Fairfax County residents
are gonna decide their fate
in this 50 million dollar case.
[brooding music swells]
All right,
everybody.
Right now, I am on my way
to the Fairfax County Courthouse
to get into line.
[intriguing music plays]
[Darthn3ws] ] Day one of the Johnny Depp
trial. There's gonna be 100 spectators,
and it's gonna be a mix of media
and just civilians,
you know, supporters, fans.
- [crowd cheers]
- [woman 1] Johnny Depp!
[woman 2] Yeah!
I hear it's first come, first serve.
So gotta be there bright and early.
[woman] Oh, wait,
I gotta take a picture of the cushion.
[man 1] Perfect.
[man 2] Oh, okay, I'm going for it.
I love you guys. Pass it along.
Let's flip it up so you guys can see.
- Good morning.
- [crowd members] Good morning.
[DUI Guy+] How are we feeling, line?
[crowd members] Yay.
[DUI Guy+] You know what to do.
Hashtag "respect for the line."
"Justice for the line."
Okay, so if you're, like, official media,
you have to be on that side
of the street, right?
If you're, like, just a fan,
you can be over here.
So I can kind of get, like,
a closer look at Johnny.
Johnny Depp is suing
his ex-wife, Amber Heard,
for 50 million dollars in damages,
claiming she defamed him.
Welcome back. We're getting a closer look
into the lives of Hollywood's elites
as part of the defamation lawsuit
between A-lister Johnny Depp
and ex-wife Amber Heard.
In 2020, Depp lost a lawsuit
against a British tabloid
that labeled him a, quote, "wife-beater."
He and Heard are both expected
to testify at this trial.
[man] Lots of people
are talking about this,
I know there's lots
of livestreams happening.
You can go watch the trial yourself,
make your own opinions of it.
It's online. You can go to YouTube
right now and watch.
Johnny, we love you!
Today is a different kind of show
because we are going to be watching
the opening statements
in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case
and going through them with commentary.
All right, so I got my spectator pass.
That is awesome.
[intriguing music continues]
Okay, so we are up here
on the fifth floor.
That's where his trial's taking place.
Not supposed to be on our phones.
Definitely not supposed
to be recording up here.
[crowd cheering]
[dramatic percussive music plays]
[man, chuckling]
There's no Amber Heard fans.
It's only It's only Johnny Depp fans.
Nobody's there for Amber.
What's up, guys?
Welcome to Lawsplaining,
and I hope you are ready.
[counter ticking]
[Rekieta] This is one of the first
high-profile "Me Too" defamation cases
that's making it into a courtroom.
That is huge news.
Hey, there we are.
There's the man himself, Johnny D.
That's a nice tie! I like that tie.
- Ready for the jury?
- [clerk] Yes, Your Honor.
Okay, great.
So how is it that Court TV
and other stations
are even allowed to broadcast this trial?
Why do we have such crazy access
into the Fairfax County Courthouse?
In Virginia,
that decision is solely up to the judge,
and the judge in this case signed an order
permitting a pool camera
to broadcast the trial.
[Azcarate] Ladies and gentlemen,
we're gonna go over the responsibilities
you have as jurors, okay, in this case.
All right, so you're not to read, watch,
or listen to anything about this case
on any social networking sites.
What you learn about this case
is limited to what you learn
in the four walls of this courtroom.
Okay? Are we ready
with opening statements?
The judge is asking for Johnny Depp's
attorney's opening statement.
Uh, I'm gonna cut to a full screen,
but I will chime in with some commentary
if there are some breaks.
But here we go, live,
uh, on Popcorned Planet here in Virginia.
- [lawyer] Good morning.
- [jury] Morning.
This is a defamation case.
It's a case
about how devastating words can be
when they are false and uttered publicly.
For nearly 30 years,
Mr. Depp built a reputation
as one of the most talented actors
in Hollywood.
[tense music plays]
Today, his name is associated with a lie
uttered by his former wife,
the defendant, Amber Heard,
specifically the words that she used
published in The Washington Post
in December 2018.
Quote, "Two years ago,
I became a public figure
representing domestic abuse."
"I had the rare vantage point
of seeing in real time how institutions
protect men accused of abuse."
Ms. Heard did not use
Mr. Depp's name in the op-ed.
She didn't have to.
Two years earlier,
Ms. Heard had publicly accused
Johnny Depp of domestic abuse.
[ominous music playing]
[man] Amber, did Johnny
give you that bruise on your face?
[reporter] Johnny Depp accused
of domestic abuse in his sudden split
from actress Amber Heard.
[man] Did Johnny brutalize you?
[Chew] In the wake of the Me Too movement,
Amber Heard forever changed
Mr. Depp's life and reputation.
This trial is
about clearing Mr. Depp's name
of a terrible and false allegation.
[Azcarate] All right. Thank you.
Mr. Rottenborn.
- May I approach?
- [Azcarate] Yes, sir.
- Good morning, everyone.
- [jury] Morning.
Mr. Depp's team is gonna try
to turn this case into a soap opera.
Why? [chuckles dryly] I'm not really sure,
because the evidence
isn't pretty for Mr. Depp.
It's not.
You're gonna see
who the real Johnny Depp is,
behind the fame,
behind the pirate costume.
The man who has described himself,
the violent side of himself,
as "the monster."
"The monster."
You don't see The Washington Post
sitting here as a defendant
in this courtroom.
He only sued Amber.
He could've sued The Washington Post,
they published the article, but he didn't.
And he chose
to bring Amber to court here in Virginia,
where she has no ties,
has never lived, he's never lived,
where they never spent any time,
because he wanted to ruin her life,
to haunt her,
to wreck her career.
It's not about the soap opera
that Depp will turn this case into.
It's not about who you like better.
It's not even about whether you agree
with the words that she wrote.
It's about her right to speak them.
[light-hearted music plays]
Johnny Depp has one
of the most brilliant legal teams,
and if you need proof of that,
I've got a word for you, "Virginia."
Why would two celebrities from California
arguing about something written
in The Washington Post
file a case in Virginia?
In the USA,
defamation laws vary state by state,
and Virginia has some
of the best defamation laws
for a matter like this.
Just so we're all on the same page,
this is not a divorce case.
This is not a domestic violence case.
I would argue it's a PR campaign
disguised as a defamation case.
I don't think Johnny's intention
is to win the case here.
I think his intention is to clear his name
and to control his reputation.
There is no PR campaign that has a chance
of making an impact
as powerful as this trial.
Depp was the one who wanted
the cameras in the courtroom.
- [man] Oh, really?
- She didn't.
[tense music plays]
[Azcarate] Your first witness.
[lawyer] Your Honor, we'd like to call
Laura Amber Heard to the stand.
[Azcarate] All right.
[lawyer] Will you please state your name?
Yes, it's Amber Laura Heard.
[lawyer] Okay.
Now, why are you here?
I am here because my ex-husband
is suing me, uh, for an op-ed I wrote.
[lawyer] And how do you feel about that?
I, um [sighs]
I s struggle to have the words.
I struggle to find the words
to describe how, uh, painful this is.
Um, this is horrible.
[tense music continues]
[Azcarate] Okay, all right. Yes, ma'am?
[lawyer] Good afternoon, Mr. Depp.
Good afternoon.
Can you please tell the jury
why you're here today?
Um, yes.
Um
About six years ago,
Ms. Heard made
some quite heinous accusations against me
that, uh
that were not based
in any species of truth.
The infamous People Magazine cover
with Ms. Heard
with a a dark bruise on her face.
Nothing of the kind had ever happened.
Though there were
um,
arguments.
[Depp yelling]
But never did I, myself,
r reach the point
of, um, striking Ms. Heard in any way,
nor have I ever struck, um, any woman.
[gentle music plays]
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize anyone was there,
I thought it was just floating.
It is just floating.
Oh, God.
Why did she have to happen?
Just when I was doing so good without her.
[lawyer] Please describe for the jury
your experience in auditioning
for The Rum Diary.
Well, I auditioned a few times,
which is common in my work,
and then I got a call saying
that Johnny wanted to meet me in person.
Um
I thought I would be going
for maybe an audition.
Um But it was just a meeting.
I went to his office, um,
and and met with him for a few hours.
She came to my office.
I took one look at her and I thought,
"Yep, that's the one."
That's when I first met Ms. Heard.
We talked about books and music, poetry.
Um, we like a lot of the same
We liked a lot of the same stuff.
I was so surprised that somebody
You know, I'm a no-name actor.
I was 22, I think.
And he was twice my age
and he's this world-famous actor,
and here we are getting along
about [sighs]old blues,
and I thought
it was unusual and remarkable.
I left there just feeling
like, "Wow." [chuckles]
[shower running]
[Depp] I remember there was a scene
where I was taking a shower
and then she comes into the room
and she walks,
opens the shower, and we kiss.
It felt like something
that I shouldn't be feeling.
There are certain things that you do
in the job to, um, be professional,
like when you have to do
that sort of scene,
and you don't, like you [chuckles]
you don't use your tongue
if you can't if you can avoid it.
There's certain things that you do
to just maintain a certain line,
and it just felt
like those lines were blurred.
I mean, he grabbed my face
and pulled me into him
and really kissed me.
- [lawyer] Did he use his tongue?
- Yes.
That day after work,
Ms. Heard, uh, had come to my trailer.
He kind of playfully kind of pushed me
down on this, like, bed-sofa,
uh, that was in his trailer, just playful,
um, and flirtatious,
and he said, uh, "Yum."
[mellow jazz music plays]
Meeting an actress like Amber Heard,
she's of another era, you know.
I mean, it's like walking into a room
and meeting Veronica Lake or Bette Davis,
or, you know, Lauren Bacall.
I called her "Slim."
I called her "Slim"
and she called me "Steve."
What do you think you're gonna do?
I'm gonna get that wallet, Slim.
You know, Steve,
I wouldn't put it past you.
[Depp] My God,
when Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall,
that's when they met, on that film,
he was 45 years old and she was 19.
What'd you do that for?
- Been wondering whether I'd like it.
- What's the decision?
I don't know yet.
[Depp] They stayed together
until Bogart passed away.
So, I acknowledge the the fact
that I was the old, craggy Bogey,
and she was this beautiful creature,
just this stunning creature.
[Heard] It was a beautiful place,
a beautiful time,
and, uh, I fell
head over heels in love with this man.
[Depp] She seemed
to be the perfect partner.
Literate, sweet, funny.
She was, uh She was wonderful.
[voice breaking] There wasn't any love
like that, you know? I mean
And then, uh he would
disappear.
[aggressive grime music plays]
Hello everybody, welcome to Darthn3ws.
This is gonna be a day one recap.
I was in the courtroom,
I was sitting there live, in person.
So I'm just gonna give you
my first-hand account.
I'm not a legal scholar, I'm not a lawyer.
I do this for fun.
But I have, like, a dog in the fight
because I actually give a fuck
about Johnny Depp.
And men's rights.
[chanting] Amber! Amber! Amber!
- [noise makers blow]
- Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!
Can you describe
your relationship with Mr. Depp?
Do you remember
the first time that he physically hit you?
- Yes.
- [lawyer] Please tell the jury about it.
[sniffles]
[suspenseful music plays]
[sighs heavily]
I will never forget it.
It changed my life.
I I was sitting on the couch,
and I ask him
about the tattoo he has on his arm.
I didn't know what it said,
it just looked like muddled,
faded tattoo that was hard to read.
Well, the the, um
what it, uh a tattoo,
which used to say "Winona Forever,"
who was a former girlfriend, Winona Ryder,
and, uh, when we broke up,
I took off the last two letters
and had it say "Wino Forever."
[Heard] I didn't see that.
I thought he was joking
because it didn't look
like it said that at all, and I laughed,
and he slapped me across the face.
I just stared at him,
kind of l-laughing still,
thinking that he was gonna start
laughing too, to tell me it was a joke,
but he didn't.
He said, "You think it's so funny?
You think it's funny, bitch?"
"You think you're a funny bitch?"
And he slapped me again.
Hard.
I was just sitting there
looking at the dirty carpet,
wondering why I never noticed
that the carpet was so filthy before.
and I just didn't know what else to do,
I didn't know what to say,
I didn't know how to react
because, "God, did he just hit me?"
[sobs softly]
[lawyer] Mr. Depp,
what is your response to that?
It
It didn't It It didn't happen.
I have never struck Ms. Heard.
[sobbing] I wish I could sit here
and say I stood up,
and I walked out of that house
and I drew a line
and I stood up for myself.
I was just looking at the
dirty carpet,
trying to will myself to get up.
I was
heartbroken.
[video chimes]
She's acting.
She's lying.
[sighs]
[lawyer] Will you please
state your name for the record?
Whitney Henriquez.
- [lawyer] And you're Amber's sister?
- I am.
Describe your relationship
with Mr. Depp in the early stages.
We got along really well at first.
Um, he was sober at the time,
and Johnny, when he's sober,
is very bright and beautiful and lovely
and kind and generous,
and he was very easy to get to know.
And frankly, we all
fell in love with him at first.
But, very quickly, this pattern emerged,
uh, as their relationship went on
that if Johnny was using
or if he was drinking,
there was almost always a fight.
[brooding ethereal music plays]
Johnny, when sober, was lovely
and magical and very funny.
Cocaine and any kind of alcohol
[sighs]would bring out
a very, very ugly side of him.
Um, very misogynistic and cruel.
He was almost unrecognizable
when he was drinking
and using to an excess.
He would just get very angry,
and he would just say
really horrible things about her.
He would weave these elaborate situations
in which Amber was having affairs
with every man that she ever worked with
and every woman
she ever came in contact with.
He He became very demeaning.
You know, "She has no talent,
and when her tits start to sag
and her face gets wrinkly,
nobody is gonna be interested in her."
He called her
"a fucking used-up trash bag," uh,
"slimy whore," "saggy whore."
You know, "fucking cunt"
was thrown out a bunch.
Um, just horrible things like that.
[object clatters forcefully]
- [clattering]
- [Depp exclaims]
[Depp yells] Motherfucker!
Motherfucker!
[Heard] What happened?
[tense music plays]
[glasses clink]
[Heard] Nothing happened this morning,
you know that? All I did was say sorry.
[Depp] Did something happen to you
- [glass shatters]
- this morning? I don't think so.
Um No. That's the thing.
You wanna see crazy?
I'll give you fucking crazy.
Here's crazy.
All your crazy. Are you crazy?
[Heard] Have you drunk
this whole thing this morning?
[Depp] Oh, you got this going?
You got this going?
- [Heard] No, I just started it.
- Oh, really?
- [Heard] Yes.
- Really?
[tense music intensifies]
[forceful clattering]
So she's trying to record him
without him even knowing that.
[lawyer] Why did you
videotape this, Amber?
Yeah, good question.
'Cause I knew he
- wouldn't remember. He'd deny it.
- [lawyer 2] Objection.
- Calls for speculation.
- [Azcarate] Sustained.
When somebody breaks something
in anger in your presence,
that is legally an act of abuse.
And he is he's Look at him.
I mean, he's kicking stuff,
he's slamming stuff, he's breaking stuff.
She's like, "Hey what's going on?"
And, here, I know he wasn't hitting her,
but he was doing
some very aggressive things,
and directly in her presence.
And if she's coming in and saying, like,
"Well, hey, here's this confrontation
that happened."
"I was intimidated by it.
I felt this was an act of abuse,"
then she can give her opinion,
that "I was in an abusive relationship."
I'm not, you know, trying
to defend her or say it,
but I'm just saying, you know,
it's it's a huge problem for him.
- Morning, Mr. Depp.
- Morning, Mr. Rottenborn.
Mr. Depp, we've talked
about this, uh, a little bit,
but you've testified that abuse
can come in many forms, correct?
Physical being one of them?
- Indeed.
- [Rottenborn] Verbal?
[Depp] Indeed.
Psychological abuse?
[Depp] Indeed.
And you would agree that you were violent
in that clip, correct?
Um
Clearly, I was having a bad time.
I thought what what was most interesting
is that she tried to hide it from me,
and then that she laughed
and smiled at the end.
I thought that was
the most interesting part myself.
But So, yes.
- [Rottenborn] You didn't react
- I did assault, um, a couple of cabinets.
But I did not touch Ms. Heard.
- And
- As you can see, I think. No?
[Rottenborn] You may have been drunk
in that video, correct?
There's a possibility of that. Yes, sir.
You You You poured yourself
a, um, a megapint of red wine, correct?
- A megapint?
- [people laughing]
[Rottenborn] Yeah.
I poured myself a large glass of wine.
- [Rottenborn] Right.
- I thought it necessary.
[man] Wait for it.
[Rottenborn speaking]
[breezy elevator music plays]
[Depp speaking]
[man screaming]
[dramatic Pirates of the Caribbean
theme music plays]
[Depp] A megapint? [echoing]
I poured myself a large glass
of wine. [echoing rhythmically]
[electronic drums play rhythmically]
[processed vocals repeat rhythmically]
Megapint, megapint, megapint ♪
[music intensifies]
[rhythmically] A-A-A-A-A megapint? ♪
[music continues]
[man] The lawyer conducting
Johnny Depp's cross-examination said,
"We saw you pour a sort of"
Johnny Depp says, "A megapint."
The lawyer says, "A megapint of red wine,
which is not everybody's choice
for breakfast, is it?"
Megapint, megapint, megapint ♪
Megapint, megapint ♪
[music intensifies]
[edited rhythmically] A megapint?
- [crowd chattering indistinctly]
- [man] That's Amber.
[crowd jeering]
[Cevallos] All she needs to prove
is that he abused her. I say "all,"
but either she's making everything up,
or there's been abuse.
[crowd cheering]
[Cevallos] It's not only social media,
but when his SUV pulls up at court,
no matter what Amber Heard alleges,
there's a crowd out there
who are just gobsmacked by Johnny Depp.
[crowd chanting] Johnny, Johnny, Johnny!
[Limor] Remember, none of us were there.
With us, it's, "Who do we believe?"
But never, ever forget, we were not there.
[lawyer] Good morning, Mr. Depp.
Good morning.
Mr. Depp,
I'd like to discuss April 2016 now.
- [lawyer] Um
- Mmm.
[brooding music plays]
[Shaw] We'll take a look at this gem
in the historic core of downtown LA.
This is the Eastern Columbia building,
one of the most prestigious places
to live in downtown Los Angeles.
Johnny Depp owned five penthouses here.
This art deco gem at the corner
of Broadway and Ninth.
My birthday was coming up, and we had
a dinner planned at our penthouse.
He, uh, told me at some point that day
that he had scheduled a business meeting,
or a "a money meeting,"
I think he said, maybe.
[Depp] I was about an hour
and 40 minutes late, maybe,
something like that.
[lawyer] Mr. Depp,
when you arrived at the party,
how did Ms. Heard greet you, if at all?
Very cold.
It was a big deal to you
that Mr. Depp was late
to your birthday dinner, wasn't it?
Yeah, it Yeah, it did matter to me.
And you were upset he was late.
I was. I was hurt.
She squared off at me
in the doorway of our bedroom.
I I remember him blocking the door,
blocking me to get out,
kind of shoving me down,
and, well, we had a a
you know, a verbal argument,
and then that became a shoving match.
I tried to shove him back.
And I said, "Go ahead, hit me."
Bam.
[men laugh]
It's a movie scene.
And then I just said,
"Is that what you wanted?"
"Would you like another?"
I wanna hug this man.
Bam.
There's the second one.
And I said, "Good, now you're done."
Grabbed her by the shoulders,
walked her to the bed,
sat her down, and said,
"Don't follow me."
[chuckles] "Leave me alone."
"I'm out. I'm gone."
Johnny wrestled me down on the bed.
I remember I got up once or twice
before I ended up on the bed,
and he grabbed me. Um
He did this thing that he did sometimes
when he would taunt me,
he'd grab me by the
um, the pubic bone,
just pushed me down, held me down by it,
and kind of pulled me into it,
and, um, was kind of taunting me,
asking me if I thought
I was so fucking tough.
"You think you're
such a fucking tough guy, huh?"
"Are you so tough now?
Look who's so tough. You wanna be a man?"
I went, I grabbed a few things,
and I got out immediately,
and I went to, um
my other house.
But he's saying, "We're fucking done.
We're divorcing. This is over."
And then at 4:30 a.m. on April 22nd,
which is Amber's birthday, he left Amber.
Yes, he leaves Amber, like, "for good,"
quote unquote, on her birthday.
What a savage.
[upbeat rock music plays]
My friends,
this is the patriarchy at work.
Heard's being called a whore,
a gold digger, a crazy bitch,
manipulative, a monster.
He is being given empathy
and forgiveness for his transgressions
in a way Heard is not.
It's victim-blaming at its finest.
This is why people don't report abuse.
So far,
who do you believe in this story here?
- I kinda believe both of 'em. Um
- Okay.
They're on the stand, they're under oath.
- Yeah.
- They're not allowed to lie.
If they get caught in a lie,
it's big trouble.
In terms of it being public, well,
that's, uh that's showbiz, isn't it?
[Vasquez] After your birthday,
you and your friends went to Coachella
to celebrate your birthday.
Is that correct?
That is correct.
[bluesy rock music plays]
[Vasquez] You're featured
in that video driving.
[Heard] That's correct.
[Depp] I had gone
to one of my security team
and said, uh, "She's in Coachella."
"I think it's a good time to go downtown
so that I can get
some of my things." You know?
And he said,
"I don't think now's a good time to go."
Ah.
And I thought, "It's the perfect time.
She's not gonna be home for two days."
And then he showed me
a photograph on his telephone.
[Vasquez] What was the photograph
of, Mr. Depp?
Poop. Say it. Poop!
It was a It was a
[men laughing]
[light-hearted music plays]
It was a photograph of the bed,
and on my side of the bed
um
was human fecal matter.
[laughing]
[laughing]
He knows how fucking stupid it is.
[Depp] My initial response to that,
that some human being
had actually dropped a, uh
[clears throat]
"grumpy" onto the bed
[laughs]
It was so bizarre
and so grotesque
that I could only laugh.
[Azcarate] If you'd raise
your right hand for me.
Do you swear or affirm
to tell the truth under penalty of law?
- I do.
- All right. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Jenkins, do you know
the plaintiff in this case, Johnny Depp?
[Jenkins] Yes, I do.
[lawyer] Were you also going
to Coachella with Ms. Heard?
Yes, I was. I was the transportation
for Amber and her friends
while she was at Coachella.
And did you have
any discussions with Ms. Heard
on the way to Coachella that evening?
We had a conversation
pertaining to the surprise she left
in the boss's bed
prior to leaving the apartment.
And what did Ms. Heard say
about the defecation in Mr. Depp's bed?
A horrible practical joke gone wrong.
[lawyer] Did you commit any kind of prank?
Absolutely not.
First of all, I that
I don't think that's funny.
Period. That's disgusting.
Uh, and she tr-tried
to blame it on the dogs.
[lawyer] What, if any, issues
did Boo have
Oh, they're disparaging the dog!
with bathroom problems, if you will?
[Heard] Johnny's dog, uh,
at at the time, Boo,
she had eaten Johnny's weed
when she was a puppy
and had, uh, bowel control issues.
[Vasquez] Why didn't you think
it could've been the dogs?
They're Teacup Yorkies.
They weigh about four pounds each.
It was clear.
That did not come from a dog.
[driving electronic music plays]
That's probably one of the first times
that he really realized
the depths
of how fucking insane that she was.
[ethereal melancholic music plays]
It was shared on the record
that Depp sent this text,
quote, "Will you squat
in front of the door of the master bedroom
and leave a giant coil of dookie
so that Amber steps in it
and thinks that one of the dogs,
primarily Boo, has a major problem?"
"It'll be funny."
On the 29th of October 2014,
Ms. Heard wrote
in a text message to Kevin Murphy
that, quote, "Last night, she," as in Boo,
"shit on Johnny while he was sleeping,
like all over him, not exaggerating."
Again, public record.
[sweeping classical music plays]
[Vasquez] Mr. Depp, why did you go
over to the penthouses on May 21st, 2016?
[Depp] Ms. Heard had requested,
uh, that I come over to to have a talk.
I I went over there
with my security team,
Jerry Judge and Sean Bett,
just in case anything went down.
- Good morning, Mr. Bett.
- Good morning.
[Rottenborn] Do you see this
on your screen, uh, Mr. Bett?
[Bett] I do.
[Rottenborn] That's you
in that black and white shirt, right?
[Bett] That's me.
[Rottenborn] That's Mr. Depp in the hat,
and that's Mr. Judge to his left.
[Bett] Correct.
[Rottenborn] And this video
is when you're entering
the Eastern Columbia building
to take him to Penthouse Three, correct?
That's correct.
Johnny and I had not seen each other
for the better part of a month.
I mean, I could tell
he was inebriated, but it was peaceful.
And then he starts talking
about the feces again,
and this prank that he said
one of my friends had left for him
in my bed.
Our marriage was falling apart
in front of our eyes,
we hadn't seen each other for a month,
and I couldn't believe
he wanted to talk about feces.
So I call this friend,
thinking that will take care of it.
- And I say
- [lawyer] Tell us who that person is.
Io.
She put me on speakerphone.
She said,
"Johnny thinks that you and I together
defecated on his pillow."
So I started laughing,
and he got very agitated by the fact
that she and I thought it was funny.
And when I realized that he was serious,
I was like, "Okay, look.
You know, first of all,
I wasn't there that day."
It just made Johnny madder.
He got more upset, grabbed the phone,
and started screaming expletives,
insulting names.
And I said to Io, "You can have her now."
"She's yours. She's all yours." Right?
He tosses the the phone, you know,
down on the couch and heads upstairs,
and I pick up the phone.
Io said, "Amber, get out of the house.
Get out of the house now."
"You're not safe."
Johnny came bolting down the stairs,
grabbed the phone from my hand,
just pulls his arm back with the phone,
and throws it at my face.
Hit me right in my
It felt like my my eye.
I was by the refrigerator at this point.
I was 20 feet away.
[Vasquez] Where was Ms. Heard
at that time?
She was still sitting on the couch.
He comes over to me, um, as I'm crying.
He says, "Oh yeah, I hit you, huh?"
"What if I pull your hair back?
What if I pull your hair back?"
He said to her, "Oh, you think I hit you?"
"You think I fucking hit you?"
"What if I peel your fucking hair back?"
And then I heard the phone drop again
and then I heard her scream.
She's still got Io on the phone,
and that's when the screaming started.
"Stop hitting me, Johnny,"
she's screaming.
In In her best, uh,
freaked out, upset voice, high-pitched.
We could hear the screaming
and shouting from Ms. Heard,
so I immediately opened up the door,
and Mr. Judge and I ran in there.
Next thing I hear is, "Boss, boss!"
And I realize that his two security guards
had come into the to the apartment.
She had this look of surprise on her face,
and then she looked at Mr. Depp and us,
and she shouted out loud,
um, "This is the last time
you do this to me."
"That's the last time you'll ever hit me."
"That's the last time
you'll ever do that to me."
And again,
I'm a good 20 feet away, by the fridge.
At which point,
Mr. Depp looked at her and said,
"What the hell are you talking about?"
[Io] I remember her screaming
and I hung up the phone and I called 911.
- [knocking on door]
- [indistinct chatter on police radio]
[man] Hello, officers. How you doing?
[cop] Want to just come in and just check.
We need to make sure
everybody in here is okay and then we
[lawyer] Why didn't you want
to cooperate with the police?
[Heard] Because I I [sighs]
I wanted to protect Johnny.
I didn't want him to be arrested.
[cop] Who's Amber?
You? Okay.
[man] Johnny is definitely not here.
- [cop] He's not here?
- [man] No, sir.
[cop] Everything's all good then?
- [Heard] Now it is, yes.
- [cop] All right.
[Heard] Thank you.
My best friend took pictures of me.
This is my face after the phone incident.
[Vasquez] Did you have
a clear view of Ms. Heard?
I did.
- Did you have a clear view of her face?
- I did.
Did you observe any injuries
on Ms. Heard's face?
None.
Johnny Depp's soon-to-be ex-wife
has received
a domestic violence restraining order
against the movie star.
Amber Heard presented
this photograph in court
as evidence
of the alleged domestic violence.
[reporter 1] Hey, Amber.
[reporter 2] Amber, did Johnny give you
that bruise on your face?
- Did Johnny beat you up?
- [reporter 3] Amber, what
[Depp] I saw that she had gone to a court
and there were paparazzi everywhere,
and her and a, um, brown mark on her face.
[Vasquez] Had you ever been accused
of physically abusing a woman
before this point?
No.
No.
[Depp] Because you started it.
The fact that she's on tape
admitting to hitting Johnny Depp,
for her to have written
this op-ed for The Washington Post
and essentially propped herself up
as a figurehead in the "Me Too" movement.
- Right.
- So to speak.
Yeah, it it I think you
you just feel really betrayed.
It's so triggering to so many people.
[woman] As a victim and a survivor
of domestic violence,
even though it's sexist,
you do want to kind of back the female,
but so far,
I feel like she was more the aggressor.
[man] Look, they can both be wrong.
Amber can be awful.
You can totally believe that,
but we can't use that
as a reason for Johnny Depp to be absolved
of the clearly awful things
that he has done.
[Azcarate] All right. Cross-examination.
Cross-examination. Here we go.
- [Vasquez] Good afternoon, Ms. Heard.
- Good afternoon.
Starting out respectful.
Mr. Depp hasn't looked at you once
this entire trial, has he?
Ooh! No, he has not.
Not that I've noticed, no.
You know exactly why Mr. Depp
won't look back at you, don't you?
I do.
One of the last times
you ever saw Mr. Depp
was when you met
in San Francisco in July of 2016,
and this is after you had obtained
the domestic violence
restraining order against him.
That's correct.
Oh, right into audio.
[tense music plays]
- [Heard] Please.
- [Depp] You won't even
[Heard] Please, please.
[Vasquez] That's you and Mr. Depp
in that recording.
That is.
[Vasquez] And he kept
that promise, hasn't he?
As far as I know, he cannot look at me.
"He cannot."
[Vasquez] He won't look at you,
right, Ms. Heard?
He can't.
[Vasquez] Let's please play
plaintiff exhibit 357A,
which is already in evidence, Your Honor.
[Vasquez] That's your voice
on that recording?
Yes, it is.
You didn't think he would tell the world
he was a victim of domestic violence,
did you?
I thought it would be crazy
for him to do so
knowing what I know we lived through.
[Vasquez] What did you say
in response when Ms. Heard said,
"Tell the world, Johnny."
"Tell them, 'Johnny Depp,
I'm a victim too of domestic violence'"?
I said, "Yes. I am."
[Vasquez] Ms. Heard,
Mr. Depp is your victim, isn't he?
[breathes deeply]
No, ma'am.
And once he left you,
you continued to abuse him publicly
by calling him an abuser, didn't you?
Uh, he is an abuser,
and you can look either of us up online
and figure out who's being abused online.
[bold classical music plays]
[people shouting maliciously]
[chanting] Amber turd! Amber turd!
Amber turd! Amber turd!
[jeering and booing]
This is a battle of optics.
This is not so much about the legal merits
but rather what the public perception is.
[crowd cheers]
[woman 1] If you just look
at public opinion,
no one really believes Amber Heard.
[mock sobbing]
I don't buy it for a Do you buy this?
[woman 2] The hashtag
"Justice for Johnny Depp"
has more than four billion views
on TikTok.
It seems the Internet has made up its mind
without this court case
even coming to a close.
[cheering]
[Vasquez speaking]
[grunts softly]
Yeah, Amber's fucked.
[ominous tone plays]
[sweeping classical music plays]