Calling up Depp again a danger
Amber Heard calling Johnny Depp back to the stand could be a “risk” — partly because of how likable he was when he testified in the former couple’s bombshell defamation trial, legal experts told The Post.
Sources close to Heard have said the “Aquaman” actress’ legal team plans to grill Depp again as they argue her side in the ongoing courtroom battle in Fairfax, Va.
But the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, who has already testified for four days, came across as believable and likable to the jury, experts said — noting that giving him a second round on the stand might hurt Heard’s case.
“There is a risk that he is going to have more time being likable on the stand,” said civil attorney Katherine Lizardo, “when it’s actually Amber Heard’s time to present her case.”
Halim Dhanidina, a former California judge and current criminal defense attorney, said Depp’s “very unique personality” likely made him appealing to the jury the first time around. “He didn’t really strike me as someone who was putting on an act or fabricating,” Dhanidina said. “The jury is going to want to know whether they can rely on testimony not based on how smart the witness appears, but how sincere they are.”
Depp, 58, is suing his 36year-old ex-wife, accusing her of defaming him when she called herself “a public figure representing domestic abuse” in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed.
Heard has filed a $100 million countersuit claiming it was Depp who defamed her by accusing her of lying about the alleged abuse. Her side is now presenting its case, wrapping up with Heard’s fourth day of testimony on Tuesday, and continuing to call witnesses — though exactly when Depp might be up is unclear.
“Right now we are hearing Amber Heard’s . . . side of the story,” said Lizardo, an attorney who represents plaintiffs in civil suits. “To call her opponent to speak on your behalf sounds counterintuitive.”