Johnny Depp & Amber Heard's Legal Team Make Final Arguments As Case Goes To Jury

Actor Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard continue to make headlines as the trial approaches closing arguments on Friday.

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.

After lunch, Camille Vasquez addressed the counterarguments posed by Amber Heard's legal team, repeating similar statements that she made Friday morning.

Camille Vasquez accused Amber Heard of lying and said that Heard's legal team mischaracterized the testimony of several witnesses. Vasquez said that Heard painted herself as a victim of domestic abuse and that she's "lied too many times to too many people."

She said that Heard has come up with "new stories" of the abuse, including new claims of sexual assault that she alleged Depp did in Australia when he allegedly penetrated her with a vodka bottle.

"Her story is a constantly moving target. It never stays the same," Vasquez said, saying that Heard has been "confronted with her lies" and said that her story "does not hold up."

"You saw her performance on the stand," Vasquez said, saying that Heard got caught in "lie after lie."

"This case is about words. The words that Ms. Heard published in an op-ed against Mr. Depp," she went on, targeting Ben Rottenborn's lengthy closing argument about the First Amendment.

"A person's life cannot and should not be destroyed by a baseless charge," Vasquez continued. "Ms. Heard was never going to stop calling him an abuser. The only way was to stand up, in this court."

Vasquez then proceeded to name many different people who had come out to support Depp's testimony, including his security guards and medical team.

"These people have nothing to gain by coming forward," Vasquez said. "They have everything to lose."

Vasquez then shifted gears and said that Amber Heard had the burden of proof that Johnny Depp's attorney, Mr. Waldman, made statements that Heard's abuse allegations were a "hoax" with actual malice. She pointed out that Mr. Waldman did seem to honestly believe that Heard's allegations were a hoax. "He believed Mr. Depp," she said.

She also said that Mr. Waldman's statements were not made by Johnny Depp and Heard had to prove that Mr. Waldman was acting on behalf of Johnny Depp when he called it a hoax. Vasquez insisted that Heard had not met her burden of proof in that regard. Vasquez also addressed Heard's claims of PTSD, saying, "She is not telling the truth."

"In the end, we have Ms. Heard's word. Do you trust it?" Vasquez asked the jury. "You either believe all of it or none of it."

She also asked the jury to think about the meaning of Heard's op-ed and what she was trying to accomplish by writing it. She told the jury that they are there "because of a lie."

"The evidence overwhelmingly shows that Ms. Heard is an abuser and she is a liar," Vasquez said.

Ben Rottenborn said that it was "simple" for the jury. "If you believe Mr. Depp was abusive to Amber one time ever ... then your job is very easy."

He said that abuse does not just constitute physical abuse, but also emotional and verbal abuse. He said that the mention that Heard's abuse claims are a "hoax" is "vicious and vile."

"The evidence shows that she did not commit any of those hoaxes," he said, mentioning that Heard had several witnesses to support her claims.

Rottenborn insisted that Mr. Waldman was acting with malice when he made the statements about Amber Heard and alleged that her abuse claims were a "hoax." He said Depp and Mr. Waldman went to the Daily Mail together to make that statement.

Rottenborn says that Heard cannot get opportunities due to the statements made by Mr. Depp and Mr. Waldman.

Rottenborn concluded, "We ask, ladies and gentlemen, that you hold Mr. Depp accountable for his actions. Stand up for victims of domestic abuse everywhere who suffer in silence. Stand up for the freedom of speech. For the freedom to speak about your life that the First Amendment protects. Give Amber Heard her voice back. Give Amber Heard her life back."

At that point, the case was handed over to the jury. They will deliberate on Friday afternoon until dinner. They have Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off, because it is Memorial Day. Deliberation will resume on Tuesday, May 31, until they reach a verdict.