Expert Testifies That Op-ed Had 'Very Little' Impact On Johnny Depp's Career

Actor Johnny Deppand ex-wife Amber Heard continue to make headlines as the defamation trial continues.

The couple has been facing each other at the Fairfax County Circuit Court for most of the past month. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor is suing his ex-wife for $50 million over a December 2018 op-ed Heard wrote for the Washington Post where she claims that she is a domestic violence survivor. Although she did not mention Depp by name, he claims that he has lost movie roles due to the “clear implication” that he was her abuser. Heard claims that she has also been losing out on movie roles, including several scenes from the upcoming “Aquaman” sequel, and is countersuing for $100 million dollars.

On Monday morning, a hand surgeon testified that Depp's severed finger injury did not happen the way that he had alleged after reviewing medical records and photographic evidence. After a lunch break, Depp was expected to take the stand to be questioned by the defense. However, it seems that he is no longer expected to testify.

Entertainment Industry Consultant Kathryn Arnold testified that Johnny Depp's career was impacted by his personal life, such as his drinking and drug use. She said it got harder for production studios to hire him due to the issues that it would put on a production.

After reviewing the evidence, she told the jury that after reviewing the evidence by Depp's previous representative, Depp's career started to take a nosedive around 2010 - before he married Heard. In 2014, "it was presumed that he was under the effects of alcohol at the Hollywood Film Awards," she told the jury.

She testified that Depp's more recent films were not very successful, and pointed to a 2017 article that called out Depp's "diminishing returns" from "Pirates 5." She said that Disney would forward articles about Depp's and one of the Disney executives used the terms "sad" and "depressing" to refer to Depp's struggles.

Arnold explained that Depp's such a public figure that every time Depp files a lawsuit, it attracts public scrutiny. She discussed "Pirates 6" and said that Depp couldn't have lost money on the movie because, as far as she knows, a script for the movie has not yet been developed.

"You can't claim damages for something that hasn't even happened," she told the jury. "There is no 'Pirates 6.'" She added that Depp has no contract for "Pirates 6," saying that "it doesn't exist." She testified that the film has not been "greenlit" and said that the movie had no script, director, or cast.

She testified that the character of Captain Jack Sparrow has been "exhausted creatively," which was evidenced by "Pirates 5" pulling in less money at the box office than its predecessors.

She testified that the op-ed had "very little" impact on his career, saying that hardly anyone knew about the op-ed until Depp filed the lawsuit. She also told the jury that his score on IMDb was around 113 both before and after the op-ed was released, saying that it had no impact on his score.

Depp was in a "passion project" in 2019 and was part of a Dior campaign. To her knowledge, Depp still has a contract with Dior despite the allegations. He also did press for the film "Waiting For The Barbarians." She said that he was "well-received" at the press conferences.

She also said that Depp "clearly has a strong fanbase" and that the op-ed did not seem to impact his popularity.

Her testimony about how the op-ed impacted Heard's career and her role in the "Aquaman" sequel can be read here.