Johnny Depp, Amber Heard trial: Closing arguments in defamation suit begin

The closing arguments in the $50 million defamation lawsuit filed by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amer Heard have begun.

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The high-profile defamation lawsuit filed by Johnny Depp against his former wife Amer Heard is inching closer to its judgement as the closing arguments have begun after six weeks of trial in Virginia.

The 58-year-old ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor sued his ex-wife for $50 million over an op-ed the ‘Aquaman’ actress had written in The Washington Post, claiming of being a domestic abuse victim. In response to Johnny Depp’s defamation suit, Amber Heard has filed a countersuit of $100 million.

Johnny Depp's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, began the closing arguments and asked the jury to hold Amber Heard “accountable for her 'lies'". After Vasquez’s closing statements, Amber Heard’s lawyer began with her closing arguments.

The celebrity trial of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard which has been broadcast live every week has gained a massive public interest as both Depp and Heard hurled serious accusations of emotional, verbal and physical abuse at each other.

Amber Heard and her team of lawyers told the jurors of cruel and erratic Johnny Depp, prone to alcohol and drug binges as well as violent behaviour.

On Thursday when Amber Heard took the stand, she became emotional while telling the court of the "harassment, the humiliation, the campaign against me that's echoed every single day on social media and now in front of cameras, in this room".

Johnny Depp, on the other hand, offered a starkly different picture of their relationship. He alleged that Amber Heard was a volatile spouse who demeaned and abused him. When he took the stand, he told the jurors that Heard had a "need" for conflict and violence.

Reminding the jurors of Johnny Depp’s testimony, his lawyer Camille Vasquez asked them to "give Mr Depp his life back". "What is at stake in this trial is a man's good name," Vasquez said adding, "Even more than that, what's at stake in this trial is a man's life."

Both sides have been given two hours each to address the jurors, after which the jury of seven is expected to come to a unanimous decision for a verdict.