Although Depp was nowhere to be seen, some of his loyalists, who have been an avid presence throughout the long trial, showed up early in the morning to wait in line to enter the courtroom, knowing there was little chance. to see the actor. in person.
“Johnny’s not here, so a lot of people are like, ‘meh,'” said Francesca Shanks of Luray, Va., who settled in with a book outside the courtroom. “I am here to support him and I hope he gets the verdict he deserves.”
Depp, 58, is suing Heard, 36, for $50 million for defamation after she wrote a 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post in which she referred to herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. Heard countersued Depp (who denied all allegations of abuse against her) for $100 million for defamation after her attorney called her claims a hoax.
Depp’s daily appearance in court has given rise to a circus outside of it. While the scene quieted down a bit on Tuesday, the frenzy didn’t entirely die down. A giant pirate ship from “Pirates of the Caribbean” appeared on the street, and dozens of news cameras lined up outside. Court TV and Law & Crime began watching the verdict on their respective broadcasts. Someone set up a bank of microphones in front of the courthouse in case the verdict is reached and the lawyers want to hold a press conference.
A handful of fans and curious observers sat in the hallway outside courtroom 5J, where the seven-week trial took place, and compared notes on what they knew about Depp’s condition. When Depp’s legal team passed by, a reporter asked if the actor was still in the country, and attorney Camille Vasquez said no.
Another fan reported that Vasquez told them earlier that the actor “could” return on Wednesday if deliberations continued.
Depp’s representative did not respond to a request for comment on whether he will return for the verdict; Heard’s rep declined to comment on whether the actress will attend.
Jhoane Garcia of Fairfax lives nearby, has made frequent appearances during the trial and greeted Depp’s lawyers as they passed by. Lately, she said, she has been as drawn to the actor’s legal team as she has been to Depp himself. “I will stay here just because I wanted to greet you; they will leave after the verdict,” she said. “And I just wanted to say goodbye.”
Fans debated whether they would commit to spending Wednesday in court. At least one had to work, but another admitted that she always tells herself she’s not coming back, and then she ends up coming back anyway.
Shanks, who said he slept in his truck overnight to guarantee entry to the courtroom, was glad to be there one more day to support Depp, whether he was present or not. She said the trial had solidified her view that Depp, despite being a celebrity, is just an ordinary person going through hard times: “He still seems like he’s one of us.” Evidence like his vulgar text messages didn’t change her point of view, she said.
There was only one lull in deliberations during the day, when jurors asked if a question on the verdict form pertained to the op-ed’s headline (“Amber Heard: I spoke out against sexual violence, and faced the anger of our culture. That needs to change”) or the entire opinion piece. The judge clarified that it was specifically about the headline.
Reference-www.washingtonpost.com