Depp spent four, mostly gloomy, days at the kiosk, insisting to jurors that Herd “ruined” his career with a 2018 Washington Post article describing herself as a survivor of domestic violence. But both on and off the podium, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor has also spent time in an increasingly absurd way. He has drawn sketches of women in Post-it notes. He has painted in what appeared to be a rendering of a Matisse-style painting with pastel highlighters. It has bitten sticky bears. And he has laughed at his testimony by the sea of his lawyers. Actor Johnny Depp shows off a pile of candy during his defamation lawsuit against Amber Heard’s ex-wife at Fairfax County Court in Fairfax, Virginia, USA on April 27, 2022.
Jonathan Ernst / REUTERS
Depp apparently found amusement in the massacre of mostly middle-aged female supporters who flooded the courtroom daily, some even arriving at the Virginia court hours before the trial began to take a seat. (He has also enjoyed occasional nasty show of support from legions of online fans, including Joe Rogan.) Experts have suggested that Depp’s unusual atmosphere – at least some of which has been taken into account by the jury – may be part of a controversial strategy to win over jurors. Depp’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “Johnny Depp is a good actor and he has spent years winning over audiences and that seems to be part of his strategy here,” said Judy Engelmayer, a crisis communications expert who represented Harvey Weinstein during his sexual assault trial in New York. , he told The Daily Beast. “Painting, doodling, candy consumption, are methods to show a very relaxed and comfortable state. “Instead of just looking up, looking nervous; on the contrary, he tries to look like he does not care about the world and is confident.” But if Depp’s behavior does not technically violate the courtroom worldview, especially during a trial where the actor does not face criminal charges, the behavior is remarkable as the 58-year-old is accused of abuse. “The jury is watching everyone in the courtroom, so the parties need to be careful about their behavior so that the jury does not get the impression that one side is taking the case lightly,” said Christopher Melcher, a divorce lawyer representing Kayne. West in his divorce. proceedings with Kim Kardashian, he told the Daily Beast. The essence of the ongoing lawsuit is a slanderous allegation of Heard’s article, but the actress has accused Depp of abuse, including an incident where Depp allegedly threw a phone at her leaving a bruised face. A judge in London concluded in November 2020 that there was “overwhelming evidence” that Depp had repeatedly attacked Herd throughout their marriage and that she “feared for her life”. On the floor as a witness in his own lawsuit, Depp has accused Herd of verbal and physical violence, including a notorious incident in 2015 in which he says the actress threw a bottle of vodka that cut off his fingertip. But Depp may be undermining his own version of events when a sound was heard in court that seemed to catch him saying he had cut off his finger. Both Depp and Herd have denied all allegations of wrongdoing. Jurors have been tasked with deciding whether Herd acted with “real malice” when writing the Post article – meaning he knew the content was false – or with “unreasonable indifference” to the truth. The jury will also be asked to consider some of the issues raised in Heard’s 2020 counterattack against Depp. The atmosphere in the courtroom ranged from silent to atonal, with Judge Penney Azcarate warning those present on Monday that they must remain silent or they would be thrown out. The outcry came after the laughter that erupted when Depp was at the booth and the actor was struggling to remember his own huge collection of starring roles. “I’m so sad when I find out what movies I’ve made,” Depp said at the stand, smiling, causing loud laughter in the courtroom. “I’m sorry. I’m just not watching them. I feel better not seeing them. What was the question again?” On Tuesday, Depp was caught in the live stream of the trial drawing a portrait of a woman in a Post-it note. Although it was not immediately clear who was supposed to be depicting the color sketch, Depp was caught in a more viral video giving the improvised art to his lawyer, Benjamin Chu. Chu was then seen taking off his glasses to get a better look at the sketch as Depp whispered in his ear. The lawyer made a nod of applause for the artwork, before holding his hand to his heart and showing his high-profile client. On Wednesday, a Depp dressed in sunglasses came armed with distractions as he entered the courtroom, including a “Built To Last” notebook along with a drawing of an alien-like green face with a crown on its head. Depp brought a silver glass to court every day and on Wednesday held a small pile of colorful sticky candies and jellies. Depp was also photographed Wednesday painting what appeared to be a printed sketch or reproduction of Matisse dancers with purple and pink highlighters. Sitting next to the actor at the time: an open container with Ice Breaker mints. That’s even as video footage from several LAPD officers provided new details about a 2016 domestic violence call at the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles, focusing on Depp and Herd. Kimberly Lau, a New York lawyer who specializes in harassment and assault suits, told The Daily Beast that not all of Depp’s delights were done while the jury was present. “This is a tense trial, so it is quite possible that Depp is trying to find ways to bring the situation to himself and his legal team,” Lau said. For Engelmayer, however, Depp’s riots in the courtroom were another indication that the trial “became a bit of a circus.” He said mints and sweets were normal for defendants in court – and recalled that Weinstein ate Mentos during this 2020 trial. to lead a high-risk lawsuit in a surreal scene. “It’s narcissistic, but again, it’s Hollywood,” Engelmayer said.
