Johnny Depp Smiles In Court During Defamation Trial With Amber Heard

The bitter public spat between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard continues to rage on. The actors, who met while making the 2011 movie The Rum Diary, split in May 2016. After their tumultuous relationship ended, Johnny Depp sued ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million over a Washington Post op-ed in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic violence. Depp first filed the $50 million lawsuit in March 2019, but it was postponed due to the pandemic, reports PEOPLE.

As per Insider, Depp had previously been in relationships with Winona Ryder (from 1989 to 1993), Kate Moss (1994 to 1998), and Vanessa Paradis (1998 to 2012). Depp and Heard were dating by early 2012, they tied the knot in 2015, and in 2016, Heard filed for divorce from Depp after 15 months of marriage and accused him of physical abuse which Depp has since vehemently denied. 

According to a former marriage counselor, the abuse was mutual. Dr. Laurel Anderson recalled meeting with the former couple back in 2015. Anderson's deposition that was recorded on Feb. 21 was played for the courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia. When asked if there was "violence from Mr. Depp toward Amber," Anderson replied, "Yes, you're right. He had been well controlled, I think, for almost, I don't know, 20, 30 years. Both were victims of abuse in their homes, but I thought he had been well controlled for decades. And then with Ms. Heard he was triggered, and they engaged in what I saw as mutual abuse."

The Los Angeles-based therapist claimed that Heard would sometimes initiate the fights in order to "keep him with her" as "abandonment was her worst nightmare." Heard once told her that it was "a point of pride to her if she felt disrespected to initiate a fight." She recalled that Heard reported to her, "If [Depp] were going to leave her to deescalate the fight, she would strike him to keep him there because she would rather be in a fight than have him leave." Anderson said she also observed "multiple" minor bruises on the Aquaman actress's face at an in-person meeting.

During the trial, Depp went viral on TikTok after seemingly smiling over a comment his ex-wife made. According to the Daily Dot, the 35-year-old Heard is reported to have stated that she did not like “hanging out in his house with his friends because it was boring and they were all old men playing guitars.” The Pirates of the Caribbean star was seen smiling shortly after.

The Independent reported that Depp also smirked when Heard's lawyer suggested that the Hollywood star was “obsessed” with Elon Musk. According to the outlet, Heard and the Tesla CEO are believed to have dated on and off between 2016 and 2018. Musk is listed as a potential witness for Heard, appearing online through a video link, according to The Independent.