Depp trial vs. Heard: What were the final arguments of the actor’s lawyers?

Chew said Depp was supportive of the MeToo movement, but argued that the movement was for “true survivors of abuse.” “Mr. Depp was canceled because Miss Heard falsely accused him of domestic violence,” Chew said.

In his argument, the lawyer also said that Depp “is not a saint.” “He owns his flaws, he admits to them, but he is not a violent abuser,” he said. Depp admitted to his drug addiction, but Chew said “there’s a world of difference between having a substance abuse problem and being a physical abuser.”

Earlier in Depp’s team’s closing argument, another of the lawyers, Camille Vasquez, argued that it is the actor, not Amber Heard, who was the victim of “persistent verbal, emotional and physical abuse.”

“There is a victim of domestic abuse in this courtroom, and it is not Miss Heard”Vasquez told the jury.

Vasquez noted that Friday marked six years since Heard went to court to obtain a domestic violence restraining order against Depp, following an argument at his penthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

But Vasquez called the courtroom scene “a set up,” alleging that Heard orchestrated the press coverage to ensure photographers were there to take pictures of her bruised face. He claimed that Depp hit her with a phone. But Vasquez suggested that Heard staged her injuries and that “the world only saw what she wanted them to see.”

“Exactly six years later, we are asking you to bring Mr. Depp back to life,” Vasquez said. When Heard filed for divorce that same month six years ago, she not only wanted the dissolution of her marriage, she “wanted to screw it up.”

Vasquez played audio clips of Heard during discussions with Depp, in which she laughs and appears to mock her husband.

Vasquez said “it is Ms. Heard who repeatedly admits to violence,” he said, referring to an audio recording in which Heard spoke of hitting Depp. By contrast, Vasquez said, Depp never admitted to any physical violence against Heard.

Before oral arguments began, Judge Penney Azcarate he instructed the jury on the process to reach a verdict, reflecting the high bar each side has to prove their case. In Depp’s case, the jury has to consider three statements Heard made in the Washington Post op-ed and, in each case, whether her side has proven seven elements. They include whether the statements refer to Depp, are defamatory, are false and show actual malice.

Heard faces a similar burden of proof, with the jury having to decide whether her attorneys have proven five different elements. They will consider three different statements, including those made by Adam Waldman, alleging that Heard’s abuse claims were a hoax. They must also determine if Waldman was acting as an agent for Depp.

Chew said the Washington Post op-ed was clearly about Depp. and that Heard was “bargaining her abuse allegations” against him for a new role as an ACLU ambassador on domestic violence. He said the impact of the op-ed had a clear impact on Depp’s reputation, citing USA Today’s coverage of the essay referring to Heard’s earlier accusations against him.”

Vásquez presented Heard as a manipulative figure and cited testimonies about the emotional and mental state of the actress. He called Heard a “deeply concerned person” who craved attention.

The attorney even suggested that when Heard was on the witness stand, she faked some of her most emotional moments, claiming that even when the actress was crying, there were no tears. Vasquez cited the testimony of an acting coach who said that Heard had difficulty faking such outbursts.

Vasquez said what Heard’s side showed was a “mountain of unproven accusations.” “Either she is the victim of truly horrific abuse or she is a woman who is willing to say absolutely anything,” she said.