Jurors were convicted Wednesday in the $ 50 million defamation case against Johnny Deep’s ex-wife.
The verdict will be announced today at noon PT. Ignoring the huge television and online audience, Judge Penny Azkarate gave lawyers time to get to the courtroom. Johnny Depp will not be present for the sentencing.
“Your presence shows where your priorities are,” a Hurd spokesman said of the former Pirates of the Caribbean’s absence and the impression he left. “Johnny Depp plays guitar in the UK while Amber Heard awaits her sentence in Virginia. Depp accepts his giggles and lack of seriousness on tour.
Depp’s team had their own opinion on his absence.
“Due to pre-planned work commitments made before the trial, Mr Depp will not be physically present at today’s verdict at 3pm and will be watching from the UK,” a source close to the Hollywood Vampires guitarist told Deadline.
How to watch today’s sentence live online
The six-week trial attracted a huge audience and sparked endless debates on social media as Depp tried to restore his reputation. He sued Hurd after she published a Washington Post in which she identified herself as a “public figure representing domestic violence.” Hurd filed a counterclaim for $ 100 million after one of Depp’s lawyers claimed that her allegations of abuse were fabricated.
The jury began its deliberations on Friday and received complex instructions to weigh whether any of the three statements in Heard had reached the level of defamation. In Hurd’s counterclaim, the jury will also consider whether any of the three allegations also constitute defamation. If they hand over victory to one of the parties, the jurors will also determine all damages.
In front of the courthouse, groups of spectators gathered during the trial, hoping to catch a glimpse of Depp, but the crowds were smaller on Wednesday. A number of cameras were placed in front of the Fairfax County Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia.
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