Opening arguments are to begin on Tuesday in the defamation case on allegations of spousal abuse between Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp and his former wife, actress Amber Heard.
A jury was picked on Monday to hear the suit brought by Depp, 58, against Heard, 35, in Fairfax County Circuit Court in Virginia.
Depp, who was married to Heard from 2015 to 2017, filed the defamation complaint against her in the US after losing a high-profile libel case in London in November 2020.
About a dozen Depp fans holding small black pirate flags gathered outside the Fairfax County courthouse as jury selection began.
One held a sign reading "Justice for Johnny".
Depp, wearing a grey, three-piece suit and sporting shoulder-length hair and sunglasses, arrived in court through a back door. Heard arrived for the opening day of the trial in a black pinstripe pants suit.
Jury selection was not televised but the judge hearing the case has said there would be a live broadcast starting with opening arguments on Tuesday.
Depp and Heard are expected to testify along with actors James Franco and Paul Bettany, and billionaire Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk.
The case centres on a column written by Heard and printed in The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she describes herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse" who was pilloried online after her assault claims.
The column was entitled: "I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change."
The actress did not name Depp, who she met on the set of the 2011 film The Rum Diary, but he sued her for defamation for implying he was an abuser, seeking $50 million in damages.
"The op-ed's clear implication that Mr Depp is a domestic abuser is categorically and demonstrably false. Mr Depp never abused Ms Heard," the complaint says.
He accuses her of seeking to "generate positive publicity for herself" before the release of the film Aquaman, in which she had a starring role.
Heard countersued, asking for $100m and saying she suffered "rampant physical violence and abuse" at his hands.
"The frivolous lawsuit Mr Depp has filed against Ms Heard continues that abuse and harassment," her counterclaim says.
Depp filed his case in Virginia because the Post is printed there, but he is not taking action against the newspaper.
Virginia has defamation laws considered to be more favourable to plaintiffs than those in California, where the two actors live.
The trial, presided over by Judge Penney Azcarate, is expected to last several weeks.
Depp and Heard are expected to testify in person, while some witnesses may be heard over video link.
More details about the private lives of the two actors are expected to emerge.
In 2016, Heard sought a restraining order against Depp amid abuse allegations. Their divorce was finalised in 2017.
Depp lost the London case, which he brought against The Sun for calling him a "wife beater". His attempt to appeal against the verdict was rejected in March last year.
That trial laid bare details of the couple's volatile relationship, including Depp's battle with drugs and alcohol.
Heard testified that she loved the sober Depp, but that he became a "monster" after days-long binges on powerful prescription and other drugs.
Depp's career has suffered after the case. He left his role as Capt Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
He also said he was asked to step down from the Fantastic Beasts series. He has been replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.
In a quirk of timing, the next movie in that series opens in US theatres on April 15.
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ARSENAL IN 1977
Feb 05 Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Feb 12 Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal
Feb 15 Middlesbrough 3-0 Arsenal
Feb 19 Arsenal 2-3 West Ham
Feb 26 Middlesbrough 4-1 Arsenal (FA Cup)
Mar 01 Everton 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 05 Arsenal 1-4 ipswich
March 08 Arsenal 1-2 West Brom
Mar 12 QPR 2-1 Arsenal
Mar 23 Stoke 1-1 Arsenal
Apr 02 Arsenal 3-0 Leicester
The%20Killer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EDavid%20Fincher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Fassbender%2C%20Tilda%20Swinton%2C%20Charles%20Parnell%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENetflix%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKris%20Fade%2C%20Ebraheem%20Al%20Samadi%2C%20Zeina%20Khoury%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
