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Get the latest updates from Johnny Depp’s ongoing defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard from the New York Post, as the trial enters its final days.

What you need to know:

Jury officially begins deliberation: What is the panel deciding on?

Judge Penney Azcarate dismissed two alternates and then sent the remaining seven jurors to deliberate at 2:57 p.m. Friday.

The jury has a few claims to work through in the case. 

Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for $50 million and she coutersued him for $100 million. Each celebrity claims the other defamed them.

The jury must decide on both suits concurrently, meaning it can find both Depp and Heard guilty, only one of them guilty or both not guilty. It’s unclear if and how much money they will determine to award either plaintiff.

Because juries are notoriously unpredictable, it’s impossible to guess how long the seven jurors will take to deliberate. 

And now, after six weeks, the case is being delivered to the jury

After six weeks of testimony, the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard case is being delivered to the jury.

Both sides finished their closing arguments, and Judge Penney Azcarate is reading jury instructions.

The jury must decide on both Depp's $50 million suit and Heard's $100 million countersuit.

Depp's attorney attacks Heard's character: 'This is a woman who burns bridges'

Johnny Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez used the final moments of her closing to try to assassinate Amber Heard’s character.

Camille Vasquez shakes hands with Johnny Depp's other attorney, Ben Chew.
Camille Vasquez shakes hands with Johnny Depp's other attorney, Ben Chew. REUTERS

“You may have noticed that no one showed up for Miss Heard in this courtroom other than her sister. Every other witness who traveled to Virginia for her was a paid expert,” Vasquez said. “This is a woman who burns bridges. Her close friends don't show up for her.”

Vasquez then went through the witnesses Depp’s team called in an effort to counter Team Heard’s claim that all the actor’s character witnesses were on his payroll.

“Kate Moss is definitely not on Mr. Depp’s payroll,” Vasquez said. “Miss Heard wants you to believe that all these people are lying.”

“Why are you here? You’re here because of a lie,” Vasquez said. “And that was a lie that Miss Heard repeated in the op-ed.”

Vasquez tells jurors of Heard's claims: 'Either you believe all of it, or you believe none of it'

By Snejana Farberov

Addressing the jurors, Johnny Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez urged them to consider the totality of Amber Heard's "over-the-top" allegations when deciding the verdict.

"Either you believe all of it, or you believe none of it," she said. "Either she's telling the truth, including in her most extreme allegations, or she's lying."

"Either she was raped by a bottle, or she's the sort of person who would get on the stand in this courtroom and lie to you and the world about it."

"You can't find that Mr. Depp hit her once. Either he hit her countless times. Or you can't believe a single word that comes out of her mouth."

Heard did not have PTSD, suffered no damage: lawyer

By Snejana Farberov

Johnny Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez challenged a psychologist's assessment that Amber Heard suffered from PTSD.

Camille Vasquez claims that Amber Heard "does not act like a person with PTSD."
Camille Vasquez claims that Amber Heard "does not act like a person with PTSD." REUTERS

"As you heard from Dr. Shannon Curry, Ms. Heard does not have PTSD," Vasquez said, referring to Depp's expert psychologist. "And she does not act like a person with PTSD."

She also argued that Heard, 36, suffered no damage to her Hollywood career after Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman claimed in a tabloid story that Heard's abuse story was "a hoax."

Depp team begins rebuttal closing arguments

By Snejana Farberov

Johnny Depp's attorney Camille Vasquez is delivering rebuttal closing arguments after an hour lunch break.

"There is a presumption of innocence in this country. A person's life cannot, and should not, be destroyed by a baseless charge and no opportunity to defend yourself," Vasquez told jurors.

Court goes on final lunch break before trial closes

Court recessed for its final lunch break around 1:10 p.m. Friday before the trial ends.

After an hour lunch break, the jury will hear rebuttal closing arguments and then will begin deliberations.

Court recesses for the final lunch break of the 6-week trial.
Court recesses for the final lunch break of the trial. REUTERS

Johnny Depp's team has 39 minutes left of the allotted two hours and Amber Heard's team has just six minutes.

It's unclear how long deliberations will take, but the Virginia jurors have a mountain of evidence and six full weeks of testimony to review.

Amber Heard has paid $6 million in attorneys' fees: lawyer

Amber Heard lawyer Elaine Bredehoft said her client has paid more than $6 million in attorneys' fees in the past six years.

Amber Heard has paid over $6M in attorneys' fees in the last six years, her lawyer said.
Amber Heard has paid over $6 million in attorneys' fees in the last six years, her lawyer said. REUTERS

Bredehoft was trying to explain why Heard hasn't made the full $7 million donation she pledged to the ACLU and a children's hospital, saying she's had extraordinarily high legal fees ever since ex-husband Johnny Depp sued her and allegedly started a smear campaign against her.

Heard's lawyer blasts suggestion that Heard's allegations are a 'hoax'

"They have said she has this whole hoax ... but what would Amber Heard's motive be for creating a hoax or creating any of this or making any of this up?" the actress' lawyer Elaine Bredehoft asked the jury.

Johnny Depp appeared to smirk at the question posed by Bredehoft, who added that his team falsely claims Heard is a gold digger — given that Heard wanted a pre-nup and post-nup.

Depp's lawyers interrupt closing statement by Heard's team with multiple objections

Amber Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft struggled to get through her closing argument as she was forced to pause for multiple objections from Johnny Depp's team.

Heard appeared to roll her eyes at one point after another objection.

Heard's lawyer: Ruling against her would send bad message to DV victims

Amber Heard's lawyer told the jury that ruling against his client would send a terrible message to victims of domestic abuse.

"A ruling against Amber sends a message that no matter what you do as an abuse victim, you always have to do more," he said. "Don't send that message."

Before turning the stand over to his colleague Elaine Bredehoft, Rottenborn said: "This trial is about so much more than Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard. It's about the freedom of speech, and stand up, protect it and reject Mr. Depp's claims against Amber."

Heard fights back tears while her lawyer gives closing statements

Amber Heard became visibly upset while her lawyer Ben Rottenborn gave her side's closing statement.

The actress appeared to be fighting back tears and could be seen taking deep breaths as her attorney walks the jury through the many instances when she was allegedly abused.

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