Key Moments of Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Defamation Trial So Far (Sidebar Podcast EP. 1)

hey there everybody and welcome to. sidebar presented by lawn crime this is. where we recap the biggest moments in. the day's biggest trials i'm jesse weber. [Music]. so we're talking the ongoing trial of. johnny depp versus amber heard out in. fairfax county virginia we just wrapped.

up day seven in fact i was in court. there all week it was a pretty surreal. experience to be there especially. watching johnny depp testify he goes. from the silver screen to a witness box. not every day you see that now just to. give everybody a recap depp is suing his. ex-wife actress amber heard for 50. million dollars claiming defamation. namely that she falsely accused him of. domestic abuse in a 2018 washington post. article an opinion piece that she wrote.

and that article he claims ruined his. life and ruined his career now she's. actually counter-suing him for a hundred. million dollars saying that he defamed. her when he allegedly orchestrated a. public smear campaign against her. calling her a liar and faking her. injuries so clearly this is getting very. very ugly between the two of them depp. is the plaintiff in this case so he's. presenting his case first he's. presenting his own witnesses and the. week started off with some doctors who. treated depp for major substance abuse.

issues now heard's team is saying that. drugs alcohol it made him violent it. made him dangerous it made him verbally. and emotionally abusive towards heard. but also. all of these problems that is what. contributed to depth torpedoing his own. career that it wasn't the washington. post that it wasn't heard it was all. johnny depp's fault for johnny depp's. career demise. now depp hasn't steered away from. admitting that he had a substance abuse.

problem he's been adamant though that. you can do drugs you can be an alcoholic. but that doesn't mean that you're a wife. beater and we started the week with more. of the doctor who treated depp dr david. kipper is her tell you that she was. concerned about mr duff being violent. with her at this point. no. if she had told you that is that. something you would have documented. in these notes. yes.

and we also heard from depp's private. nurse debbie lloyd who helped him. through the detoxification process do. you recall any instances where you. witness misheard. try to start a fight with mr depp. how many instances do you remember. i don't recall specific. numbers. you remember at least one. yes. do you remember. more than one. yes. more than two.

i don't recall specific numbers. um. wow. what do you remember about that first. instance that you can remember. i remember one night trying to leave the. penthouse. and amber standing in the elevator and. not letting us leave. not only is this a continuation of. testimony which we already heard that. people close to the couple didn't. observe johnny depp being violent with.

amber heard or notice any injuries on. her but you also see depp showing that. amber heard was the instigator that. she's the one who started the fights. that she was the problem we also saw the. testimony of sean bett this is depp. security guard who's been with him for. years. and he recounted this very strange story. that when he walked in on depp and heard. arguing. heard did and said something a bit odd. how was miss heard standing where were. her hands. her hands would have been in this motion.

once mr judge and i rounded that corner. and she saw both jerry and i. 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. at which point mr deb. looked at her and said what the hell are. you talking about. did you have a clear view of miss heard. i did did you have a clear view of her. face. i did did you observe any injuries on.

miss hurt's face i didn't. did you see any redness. i didn't. swelling. none. was misheard holding her face. she wasn't. okay the insinuation being here that. when an audience shows up she wanted to. look like depp had hit her even though. that never happened. a lot of the testimony that we've seen. from deppside has obviously cast herd in. a negative light namely that she's a. liar an abuser manipulative and really.

frankly straight out mean here's what. keenan wyatt who's a friend of depps and. a sound technician who's worked with him. for years said about an interaction he. had with amber heard on a private plane. what if anything did you observe about. miss herd's behavior on that boston. flight. uh. well she was giving johnny the cold. shoulder being. quiet um. and. you know seemed pouty.

what if any conversation did you have. with. am miss heard on the flight well at one. point i went up to her and said uh. something to the effect of you know he. cares about you and all of a sudden she. snapped and started yelling at me how. dare you talk to me. get away from me. yeah so. i went back to the seat and minded my. own business. when she said those things to you um. would you describe the tone of her voice.

if you remember it she she was abruptly. loud it was a quiet plane all of a. sudden it got very loud. but what we've all been waiting for and. what happened this week while i was in. court was johnny depp the plaintiff. himself taking the stand. and i want to tell you when that. happened. the whole courtroom went silent the jury. who i was looking at were glued to him. like a hawk they were listening to every. word he had to say and he started off by. explaining the 50 million dollar.

question. why do this why expose all of your dirty. laundry to the world why risk losing a. legal case here's what he had to say i. had to wait. for my opportunity to. address the charges. which were. criminal charges. um. and and then they just weren't um true. so i i felt. the responsibility of.

clearing the record. as. the only. the only way that i could get that i. could. get to the point where i could speak. um has. really. taken. this full six years. and it's been six years of. trying times. it's very.

strange when. one day your uh. cinderella so to speak and then in 0.6. seconds you're. quasimodo and. i. i. i didn't. deserve that nor did my. children nor did the people who have. believed in me for. all these years i i didn't want anybody.

any of those people to. believe that i had. done them wrong or lied to them or that. i was a fraud. i i. i pride myself on honesty i pride. myself on. truth truth is the only thing i'm. interested in. other lives will get you nowhere but um.

lives build upon lies and build upon. lies. it's too much to cover i i. i'm obsessed with the truth and um so. today is my. actually my the first. opportunity that i've been able to. speak about this. case. been full for the for the first time. mr depp have you ever physically. assaulted miss heard never.

have you ever sexually assaulted. misheard. never. certainly not. what have you lost as a result of. misheard making these allegations. against you. nothing less than everything. so depp started off his testimony by. explaining that he was abused by his. mother and that his father just took. that abuse he never fought back later on.

he basically said he would do the same. thing with amber heard he would get. attacked he would try to walk away he. would lock himself in a room or actually. even book another hotel room on trips. just to get away from her but he would. never fight back essentially saying that. amber heard was the abuser and he was. the victim in all of this and when i say. attacked i mean a few things here he. would say that amber heard would insult. him namely by taking insecurities things. that he shared with her and turning them. against him for instance she would call. him a bad father that is something that.

really hurt him given how bad his. upbringing was with his parents but even. more than that he detailed how amber. heard would hit him throw things at him. the jury even saw pictures of bruises on. depp's face pictures that were taken by. his security guard what is this a. picture of. that is uh. that's me in the emergency room. uh i see uh. i see a detail that i forgot forgotten.

which is the. the. misered pulled. taking my cigarette from. the ashtray and uh. stomped it out in my. face here. do you mark on the screen where you see. that. it's right. above that green dot.

and then there is the infamous finger. incident where while filming in. australia for pirates of the caribbean. five it has been a back and forth about. whether he actually cut his own finger. during a fight with amber heard. something that he originally told his. doctors because he claimed he didn't. want amber heard to get in trouble. versus what he says now that amber heard. threw a bottle of vodka at him. shattering and severing his finger. so. i stood up.

and i walked behind the bar. and there was a larger bottle of vodka. the kind with the handle you know. on it. i grabbed that and i went and i sat in. my seat again. i opened the bottle and i poured myself. a shot. and drank it. missouri was. flinging insults. uh left right and center and.

she then grabbed that bottle. and uh. and threw that. at me. um. and the way that the. the way that the bar was. situated. and. where miss herb was. so if. if. if i could show you so if. if.

this is the bar. where the glass was. and. the bottles. if this was the bar and i'm sitting here. like this she would grab the bottle and. she would go. there she went there. and so i. was leaning. like this in the chair. looking at her first bottle went. then got the other bottle. shot.

takes the second bottle which is the. larger one. i'm in this position again. and my my. hand is on the edge of the. the bar like like that and leaning over. the fingers. like that and uh. she threw the large bottle. and it. made contact. and shattered. everywhere.

and. i honestly didn't i didn't feel the pain. at first at all i felt no pain. whatsoever. what i felt was. um. i felt heat. i felt heat and i felt. um as if something were dripping down my. hand you know. um and then i. looked down and. realized that the.

the. the tip of my finger. had been. severed. and. i was. looking directly at. my. bones sticking out. and uh. the. the. the meaty portion of your the inside of. your finger the.

and it was. blood was just. pouring. out. i should tell you that we and the jury. all saw this graphic photo of depp's. finger as well something that i'm sure. they'll have a hard time forgetting but. one of the biggest highlights and a huge. bombshell for depp was when his team. played an audio recording between the. couple said. travis i said no i said to you. hey tell travis what just happened are. you telling me to do it you told me to.

you said go do that i said no tell him. what you're saying i lied and that you. punched me in the. thing and you figured it out and you. said no fucking i didn't talking about. i'm sorry that i didn't. uh uh hit you. across the face in a proper slap but i. was hitting you it was not punching you. babe you're not punched. don't tell me what it feels like to be. punished you know even a lot of fights. been around a long time i don't know.

you didn't get punched you got hit i'm. sorry i hit you like this but i did not. punch you i did not deck you i. was hitting you i don't know what the. vote motion of my actual hand was but. you're fine i did not hurt you i did not. punch you i was hitting you. how what am i supposed to do do this. i'm not sitting here bitching about it. am i you are that's the difference. between me and you your baby. because you started you are such a baby.

girl the fuck up johnny physical fights. i did start a physical fight you did so. because. yes you did so you did the right thing. the big thing the you know what you are. admirable. it's not to get you mad it's not it's. just. to get out of a bad situation while it's. happening before it gets worse. in australia when we had the big fight. where i lost the tip of my finger. at least.

five bathrooms and two bedrooms i went. to. to to. to avoid talking to me. to escape the fight you don't escape the. fight you escape the solution you escape. the solution you escape figuring it out. we cannot work it out if you run away to. the bathroom every time listen to me. listen to me. a boxer can't go 12 rounds without a. minute break i'm not not giving you a.

minute break you do it at minute three. at the beginning of an argument no. there are rounds man and when it gets. too. hairy. the rest splits them apart or whatever. but i'm all i'm saying is. you you can't have a solution if. the argument just keeps mounting and. mounting and mounting and mounting. i. go to the into the bathroom and sit on. the floor bam bam here you come.

i come out. fight fight fight crazy escalated i go. split again i go to another bathroom or. a bedroom or something knock knock knock. bang bang bang. you kept coming to get me. and this is huge and this is huge. because amber heard is admitting that. she attacks depp and she complains that. he runs away this corroborates his whole. story it makes him credible and at the. very least this makes his defamation. claim stronger and her counter claim.

that he lied that he lied about her. being an abuser it makes that. counterclaim much weaker and in fact he. alleged that she would make up injuries. he recounted a time that they got into a. fight and he put her in a bear hug to. try to stop her from hitting him and. according to him she says that he. headbutted her and broke her nose even. though he says i didn't make any contact. with her nose she goes into another room. grabs a kleenex puts it to her nose. there is a red substance she throws the. kleenex out walks out and when he goes. to retrieve it listen to what he says.

happened. and i knew i hadn't so i said. in. you go into sort of. placation mode which is oh my god let me. see are you okay what happened let me. see. and she wouldn't let me see anything and. so. i just tried to calm the situation as. best i could. all the while. i was waiting for her.

to dispense with that kleenex because i. didn't trust it. and so i waited. and went. she. dropped it into the waste basket in her. bathroom. or in our bathroom. and left the room. went somewhere downstairs i think i. don't know. and then i pulled the kleenex out of the. out of the trash.

bin. and i inspected it pretty closely. and realized that it was nail polish. there's no varnish or polish. after him testifying on direct for about. a day and a half it was then time for. him to be cross-examined by one of. herd's lawyers jay benjamin rottenborn. and he started with a very important. point this article this opinion piece. in the middle of the page there mr depp. this is the opinion piece that amber.

heard wrote in the washington post. that was published on december 18 2018. correct. let's say december 19th on it. at the top of the page doesn't that say. december 19th 2018. i believe that the 2018 was the online. was it not okay so december 18th. december 19th this piece in the middle.

of the page is the opinion piece. misheard wrote right. um. [Music]. could you make it a little bigger. getting smaller. this is what you're suing her over. correct. um. i'm suing her.

over. defamation. and. the various. falsities that she used. to. [Music]. bring my. life to an end. and you understand. you understand mr depp that you cannot.

you are not suing her. for any. damage. alleged damage or any. accusations. she made prior to writing this article. you're aware of that you'd agree with. that right. could you say that again. mr rottenborn you are not. bringing a lawsuit against her bringing. her into court in virginia for anything.

that she did prior to writing this. article correct you know that you can't. do that right i i have to say that i i. as i said. at the top of this i've never seen this. version. of. the. op-ed piece. i the version that i saw was the other. one that i identified that was. on the 18th this is on the. 19th i believe the.

18th. two years possibly sorry. was quite possibly um. [Music]. maybe that was the online version that. came out first. that's major because depp talked about. the injuries he talked about heard. statements in 2016. he talked about her. being an abuser talked about filing the. restraining order all how this impacted. his family and his career but he didn't. quite make it clear how the washington. post op-ed the very thing he's suing her.

for how that hurt him if you can't show. that the washington post article caused. you significant harm then essentially. you're losing your defamation claim or. at the very least it's going to affect. how much you would win in damages and. then rottenborn gets dept to acknowledge. that like his mother who abused him. abuse can take many forms it's not just. physical in fact depp said that. sometimes the mental and emotional abuse. was worse than the physical abuse at the. hands of his mother and that's where. rottenborn spent all of thursday going.

through these instances of abuse at the. hands of depth towards her. so a video was played for the jury it. was secretly recorded by amber herb. where it's in the morning and depp's. home and he starts kicking doors busting. open cabinets seemingly intoxicated very. angry he pours himself a huge bottle of. wine. and then noticed towards the end that. the camera was filming him. [Music].

happened. what happened.

[Music]. nothing happened this morning you know. that. yeah you're right i just woke up and you. were so sweet and nice. [Music]. we're not even fighting this morning all. i did was say sorry did something happen.

to you. this morning. i don't think so. no that's the thing you want to see. crazy. oh you're crazy. are you crazy have you drunk this whole. thing this morning oh you got this guy. you got this going. oh really.

[Music]. there's a couple important points here. so even though it doesn't look like depp. actually hit heard in that video the. idea is look who herd is involved with. ron bohr is trying to show that this is. intimidating behavior this could be. psychological abuse mental abuse look. who she's around and if he's going to be. this violent the implication is maybe. he's gotten physical with her in the. past. also if this is how he's acting then.

it's johnny depp's own behavior that. tarnished his career the substance abuse. the anger destroying hotel rooms not. amber heard it's him and him alone why. his career took a nosedive. and then there were the text messages. from depp text messages that he seemed. to be quite ashamed of he would call. himself a monster he called himself a. savage he threatened to smack amber. heard in one of these messages to a. third party.

and then there were the really grotesque. vile and disturbing things that he said. about heard like what he texted his. friend. actor paul bettany. in this text. mr depp. you text mr betany let's burn amber. three exclamation points right you see. that introduce you then. and. at this time. june 11 2013 amber is your girlfriend or. perhaps even your fiance at this point.

correct. girlfriend yeah for sure and and you. didn't stop. when you said let's burn amber. because the the next text down you can. move down blow up the next text please. michelle. you say. let's drown her before we burn her three. exclamation points did i read that right. uh. yes it's referenced.

prior too. you didn't stop and you said let's drown. her before we burn her. after that you made another comment and. i'd like to apologize to the court and. to the jury for some of the language. that i'm gonna have to use today but. unfortunately. you're gonna see a lot of documents with. language like this. after you said let's drown her before we. burn her mr depp you said i will fuck. her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure. she is dead.

that's what you said that you would do. after you burned her and after you. drowned her did i read that right. you certainly did yes and you wrote that. about the woman who would later become. your wife. yes i did. and then he sent these words to hurt. herself. eat salad. with your equine. a d bovine europes. and thanks for the support have a great. shoot. you sicken me. leave me.

officer squarehead. your display of guilt and matronliness. as a lesbian camp counselor was plenty. your future is on display. best of. luck. best if look. thank you for the correction best if. luck. and thanks for the tunes bye jd. don't call again i will begin to feel. embarrassed for you go away coach hup. done did i read that right.

no. lowly coach. done. hop. done. thank you otherwise did i read that. right. um. sure. you agree that referring to amber as a. lesbian camp counselor is a highly. offensive. reference to make correct. um. what's the date here 2013 it wasn't um. as uh. considered as egregious.

there was a bit more. there was a bit more. understanding about. terms amber also called herself a. lesbian camp counselor many times. so. um. i don't think i'm the first to say that. you'd agree that. there's nothing appropriate about. referring to. your girlfriend or fiance is that. in those disparaging terms in that text. correct objection compound.

all right sustained income you'd agree. that you you meant the terms in your. text. uh as an insult because you didn't like. the fact that she was disapproving of. your alcohol and drug habits objective. compound sustained compound question. there was nothing no you don't want to. answer that sir sorry next question this. could help make the jury believe that. depp was verbally abusing his wife and. that she wasn't lying in the washington. post depp tried to defend himself that. he likes dark humor he likes monty. python humor now the implication that.

depp might have physically attacked. heard or physically harmed her is. present in other text messages when he. repeatedly apologized to her but not. exactly clear. what he was apologizing for. there's one message in particular that's. a bit macabre and a bit dark but depp. had a little bit of fun with and then. she writes. my throat is yours. you're going to be the death of me but i. don't care. and then you write.

i have other uses for your throat which. do not include. injury. i have other uses for your throat. which do not include injury. sorry could you read that. again do your words sir right i read. that right correct. you did okay. you can take that down and throughout. the cross-examination rottenboard was. continually trying to call depp's. credibility into question he was trying. to show that depp was lying about what.

happened to his finger and he plays this. recording between depp and heard listen. very carefully you hear that you said. the day i chopped my finger off. let's let's play it again thank you. [Music]. are you sure that. yeah let's do it one more time. was it the day that i got my finger. chopped off no i know you say the day. that i chopped my finger off so let's.

play it one more time because i think i. left out the word that it says the day. that i chopped my finger off. you're talking about i don't know i'm. talking about australia today though now. we're talking about australia okay. i'm not sure in fact earlier you had. quoted jerry judge from uh. the airplane type is calling me. um wait till he falls asleep. and i'm positive.

that. those words never. left his. mouth because he was. he would have. if i would have been making those noises. in the bathroom he would have ripped the. hinges off. maybe they left his mouth when you were. passed out sir respectfully. let's listen to this. i don't know. then before the week closed up. rottenborn played one more thing for the. jury it was an audio recording between.

depp and heard from 2016. this was one. of the last times that they actually saw. each other face to face they had already. filed for divorce in this recording. depp tries to cut himself. and as you listen to this there are. three things to think about. one think about the potential trauma. this inflicted on hurt. two. what was her purpose in recording this. was she trying to use this to her. advantage in some way given divorce was. happening. and three. if he really did try to cut himself here.

did he cut his own finger in 2015. this is really pretty. [Music]. do i want. [Music]. don't cut your skin please do not cook. your skin please don't okay why would i. do that it's easy don't please do not do. that please do not do that come please. don't please don't create yourself. you don't need to cut yourself.

i need to do what i want. i know. [Music]. we're going. to. no thank you no thank you there's sperm. on the pillows. [Music].

don't cut yourself off please don't cry. please don't cut yourself please i know. what you're doing. i would never cut you. i would never do that to you. [Music].

don't don't don't don't don't you tell. me please don't do that. put the knife down. just put the knife down. don't. don't do that. do not do that johnny please you're.

gonna look at you you're gonna hurt. yourself please i want to look at you. you know you're in pain. wait. stop please there's a way for the pain. to go away. it's not that it doesn't make you go. away trust me. i do know it doesn't make it go away. really. did it make it go away yeah i did. please don't please don't do that okay. the knife is really dull and it would be. the worst thing in the world to use to. cut. me with. it would be too.

painful and dull and dirty to use. [Music]. right it's pretty. no no please do not do not do don't. don't don't you're gonna hurt yourself. don't. it's okay.

please please don't cut yourself please. please don't. please stop please stop please. [Music]. don't don't hurt yourself please. [Music]. and that's the last thing amber heard's. team wanted the jury to listen to and. remember as they left for the weekend. thanks for joining us here on sidebar. subscribe on itunes spotify or wherever. you get your podcasts this has been.

jesse weber speak to you soon. [Music]. you.