With jury picked, Johnny Depp opens US libel case against ex-wife Amber Heard

Lawyers for Hollywood star Johnny Depp on Tuesday gave a jury an overview of his U.S. defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard, the latest chapter in a long-running legal fight between the two Hollywood stars.
Opening statements kicked off in a Virginia courtroom in a lawsuit Depp, 58, brought against Heard, 35, for $50 million in 2018.
Depp alleges Heard defamed him when she penned a December 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post about being a survivor of domestic abuse.
The article never mentioned Depp by name, but Depp lawyer Benjamin Chew told jurors on Tuesday that it was clear Heard was referencing the Hollywood leading man.
Chew told jurors Heard published the piece on the eve of the release of Aquaman, her biggest film yet, to drum up publicity and advance her career.
“By choosing to lie about her husband for her own personal benefit, Amber Heard forever changed Mr. Depp’s life and his reputation,” Chew said. “You will hear him tell you the dreadful impact it has had on his life.”
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Heard’s piece in the Washington Post “devastated” Depp’s career, Chew said.
“Hollywood studios don’t want to deal with the public backlash from hiring someone accused of abuse — even someone with the incredible body of work and record that Mr Depp can be proud of,” Chew said.