A jury heard closing arguments Friday in Johnny Depp's high-profile libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp's attorneys Camille Vasquez and Benjamin Chew stood up for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor, painting a picture of Heard as the abuser is the couple's tumultuous marriage and claiming that Heard's December 2018 Washington Post op-ed defamed the actor and ruined his reputation. Vasquez, who has become internet famous amid the high-profile trial, asked the jury on Friday "to give Mr. Depp his life back" by finding Heard guilty of libel. Heard "ruined his life by falsely telling the world she was a survivor of domestic abuse at the hands of Mr. Depp," Vasquez told the jury in closing arguments. "There is an abuser in this courtroom, but it is not Mr. Depp," Vasquez said. "And there is a victim of domestic abuse in this courtroom, but it is not Ms. Heard." Heard's lawyers will present their closing arguments later Friday. Each side will have two hours to summarize their case in a trial that has stretched on for six weeks. With broadcast cameras in the courtroom, a celebrity trial that garnered intense interest from the outset has only gained momentum as fans have weighed in on social media and lined up overnight for a coveted courtroom seat. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million in Virginia's Fairfax County Circuit Court for the 2018 op-ed where she described herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." His lawyers say he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name. Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim against Depp after his lawyer called her allegations a hoax. — Agencies
