Testy at times, rambling and poetic at others, Johnny Depp has embraced a familiar role at his defamation trial against his former wife Amber Heard—the leading man.
During three days on the witness stand, the three-time Oscar nominee has sought to convince a jury that the allegations of domestic abuse made against him by Heard are untrue and have destroyed his career.
Lawyers for the 36-year-old Heard have hammered away at the 58-year-old Depp’s history of drug and alcohol use in a bid to undermine his credibility. The Pirates of the Caribbean star has mostly kept his cool under cross-examination by Heard’s lawyers but has shown the occasional flash of anger.
Asked by her attorney Ben Rottenborn to answer a “simple yes or no question,” Depp snapped back: “Nothing is simple in this case.”
Depp has also gotten the hang of the back-and-forth of the Virginia courtroom where high-powered lawyers for both sides are constantly interrupting each other to complain about hearsay.
“That’s hearsay I guess,” Depp said of one of his own comments, drawing laughter from a gallery that includes some of the actor’s fans. “I’m learning.”