Johnny Depp and Amber Heard leave court on first day of case
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The Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp is suing Aquaman actress Amber Heard for defamation, while she is making a $100 million counterclaim against him. Johnny’s pal Isaac Baruch, who’d been close to the actor since his teenage years, vowed he had never seen abuse take place, while taking to the stand in court.
Isaac told the court that Johnny had generously provided him with the use of penthouse apartment after finding fame, and had even paid him rent at a time when both had shared the accommodation.
Denying ever having seen physical attacks on Amber, he branded her allegations “not fair”.
“For Johnny, his family has been completely wrecked by all of this stuff,” he blasted.
“And it’s not fair. It’s not right what she did and for what happened to so many people who have been affected by this.”
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He continued: “It’s insane how this happened.”
When questioned over domestic violence claims, he adamantly told the court: “I never witnessed it.
“I never saw or witnessed whatever type of claim that is being said. Ever.”
Isaac, who is an artist by profession, also insisted: “It’s so many people have been affected by this malicious lie that she started and she created.
“It’s gone out the door and around the world, and so I can’t even paint anymore.
“I’ve stopped painting for the last how many years.”
He added to the court that he wanted her to “take responsibility, heal and move on”.
Johnny’s lawyer Benjamin Chew told the jury that the evidence they would hear over the coming days would paint Amber as a “compulsive liar”, while clearing her ex-husband of wrongdoing, but she is yet to respond.
He added: “The evidence will show Heard’s false allegations had a significant impact on Depp’s family and his ability to work in the profession he loved.”
However, Amber is counter-suing him too – and courts are yet to hear her side of the story.
Johnny previously lost a defamation case against The Sun after he sued the newspaper for describing him as a “wife beater”.
The court in London found that the allegations made against him were “substantially true” and furthermore blocked his right to appeal the decision.
Two years on, the new trial is now underway in Fairfax, Virginia.
Amber’s lawyers are expected to argue that she should be immune from defamation claims due to a law specific to the state of Virginia called the anti-Slapp provision (strategic lawsuit against public participation.)
The provision is designed to prevent people from being sued for speaking out when the matters involved are of public concern.
Meanwhile Amber is counter-suing, having previously claimed that her own film career also lay in tatters after being accused of “lying” about being an abuse victim.
The trial continues.
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