Amber Heard ends her testimony at libel trial - Action News
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Amber Heard ends her testimony at libel trial

Amber Heard told jurors at her libel trial Thursday that a harassment campaign waged against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp has left her humiliated and scared for her life due to multiple death threats.

Heard has testified about numerous instances of physical abuse she says she suffered at Johnny Depp's hands

Amber Heard testifies in the courtroom in Fairfax, Va., on Thursday. Heard was the final witness in the six-week libel trial brought against her by her ex-husband actor Johnny Depp. (Michael Reynolds/The Associated Press)

WARNING: This story contains details of intimate partner violence.

Amber Heard told jurors Thursday that a harassment campaign waged against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp has left her humiliated and scared for her life due tomultiple death threats, and said she just wants "Johnny to leave me alone."

Heard was the final witness in the six-week libel trial Depp brought against his ex-wife. With cameras in the courtroom, millions of people have followed the trial, and interest seemed to gain momentum as the weeks went on and both Depp and Heard testified about the ugly details of their relationship.

Online and at the courthouse, Depp's fans have overwhelmingly dominated the narrative, with people lining up overnight to get one of the few spots in the courtroom and wave at Depp as he walks in and out. Heard has been booed by spectators on the street as she enters and leaves the courthouse.

"The harassment and the humiliation, the campaign against me that's echoed every single day on social media, and now in front of cameras in the showroom every single day I have to relive the trauma," Heard said as she fought back tears. "Perhaps it's easy to forget I'm a human being."

Heard cross-examined

On cross-examination, Depp's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, told Heard that "your lies have been exposed to the world" and questioned her about people who contradicted portions of her accounts.

"I know how many people will come out of the woodwork to be in support of Johnny," Heard responded.

Depp is suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." Depp'slawyers say the actorwas defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.

Heard said she hopes the lawsuit will allow her to regain her voice, and said she had the "right as an American" to publish an article that described her experiences and how they relate to the national debate over domestic violence.

"Johnny has taken enough of my voice," she said. "I have the right to tell my story."

Depp has denied he ever struck Heard, and says she was the abuser in the relationship. Heard has testified about more than a dozen separate instances of physical abuse she says she suffered at Depp's hands.

Hand surgeon testifies

The final witness for Depp's side Thursday morningwashand surgeon Richard Gilbert, who said he thinks the injury that occurred to Depp's middle finger could have occurred as Depp describes it.

The tip of thefinger was severed during a fight the couple had in Australia.

Depp says it occurred when Heard threw a large vodka bottle at him. Heard says Depp did it to himself in a drug-fuelled rage on a night when he also sexually assaulted her with a liquor bottle.

Jurors will hear closing arguments on Friday.


Support is available for anyone who has been abused or assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through theEnding Violence Association of Canada database.The Canadian Women's Foundation'sSignal For Helpis a silent, one-handed gesture to use in a video call to indicate that you are at risk of violence at home. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.