Johnny Depp Has Rested His Case In $50million Defamation Trial Against Amber Heard

Johnny Depp has today rested his case in the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia.

The update comes as Amber Heard had previously rested her case on 24 May, with Amber's legal team now beginning their rebuttal in a countersuit against him.

Depp, 58, sued Heard in a $50 million (£40.1million) defamation lawsuit over abuse claims she made in a written piece for The Washington Post in 2018.

Johnny Depp has rested his case in the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia (Alamy).

Depp’s legal team argued that the article implies Heard was physically and sexually abused by Depp when they were married, although the article does not refer to him by name. Heard is now countersuing for $100m after a motion to dismiss was denied by Judge Penney Azcarate.

During what are expected to be the final days of the trial, the pair formally rested their cases – meaning that both legal teams have concluded their arguments and are ready for the judge or jury to decide on the outcome.

Previously, Kate Moss was called to the stand and testified as a rebuttal witness in support of Depp, shedding light on a previous rumour that surfaced when the model dated Depp for around four years in the 1990s. 

The update to their case comes as Amber Heard had previously rested her case just days ago (Alamy).

The supermodel and former girlfriend of Depp attended the courtroom via videolink on Wednesday 25 May to testify.

The 48-year old was previously not expected to provide testimony during the case, but took to the stand after Heard recalled an altercation during her own testimony that involved Moss's name.

Earlier in the trial, Heard said on the stand that during an alleged altercation with Depp and her sister, she was 'reminded' of a rumour she had heard regarding Depp allegedly pushing Moss down a flight of stairs – but Moss has since debunked this. 

Previously, Kate Moss was called to the stand and testified as a rebuttal witness in support of Depp (Law and Crime Network)

During her testimony, Heard said: “[Whitney's] back was to the staircase, and Johnny swings at her. I didn’t hesitate, I didn’t wait. I immediately thought of Kate Moss and the stairs, and I swung at him."

The final arguments are set to be heard on Friday (27 May), as the court closes the high-profile case.

More to follow.