Hollywood star Johnny Depp's defamation case against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard is rounding out its sixth and final week of proceedings.
He is suing Heard for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she wrote about her experience with domestic abuse and described herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse".
Depp was not referred to by name in the piece. However, the abuse allegations had cost him money and career opportunities. Heard has countersued for $100 million for defamation over statements made by an attorney for Depp who called her claims of abuse a "hoax".
The trial kicked off on April 11 in the Washington, D.C.-adjacent jurisdiction.
On Wednesday, Depp once again took the stand in a Fairfax, Virginia, courthouse to refute testimony previously given by witnesses including Heard.
He testified that his ex-wife hit him on multiple occasions and that her accusations of violence against him were "heinous."
Heard previously testified that Depp hit her, and any time she used force, it was in reaction to him. Depp on Wednesday said Heard's accusations of physical and sexual violence had "gotten out of control."
The jury on Wednesday also heard from Morgan Tremaine, a former employee of entertainment news website TMZ.
Tremaine testified that it was his job to dispatch photographers to places around Los Angeles based on tips or known celebrity hot spots. He disclosed that a news producer received a tip that Heard would be filing a temporary restraining order against Depp, and he dispatched photographers to the courthouse.
Tremaine noted that the objective was to capture her leaving the courthouse, adding: "Then she was going to sort of stop and turn towards the camera to display the bruise on the right side of her face, the alleged bruise,".
He also testified that a video showing Depp slamming kitchen cabinets was sent to the outlet in August 2016 anonymously through its email tip line. Tremaine also received a tip that Heard would be arriving at Los Angeles International Airport later that day.
Heard previously testified that she was not the one who tipped off TMZ at her court hearing and that she did not send the outlet the video of Depp slamming cabinets.
The "Aquaman" actress is expected to take the stand again Thursday in the Fairfax County Courthouse. Depp’s side has one more rebuttal witness left.
Heard will close out the last day of witness testimony and will be the very last witness before closing arguments start early on Friday.
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