Amber Heard has 'forever changed' Johnny Depp's reputation with her "lies", according to lawyers

Bang Showbiz Lawyers for Johnny Depp deliver opening arguments at the defamation case

The 35-year-old actress was sued by her ex-husband for $50 million for defamation after she wrote a piece for The Washington Post newspaper in which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence but did not name Johnny, 58, in the article, so has countersued the Hollywood star for $100 million.

A jury was selected on Monday (11.04.22) and opening statements were given to the Virginia courtroom on Tuesday, with Johnny's lawyers arguing that Amber's "lies" have ruined his reputation.

Attorney Ben Chew said: "Today, his name is associated with a lie. A statement issued by his former wife. You will learn during the trial that Miss Heard’s accusations were prompted by Mr. Depp’s request for a divorce. No one, in five decades, had ever accused Mr. Depp of being violent with a woman.

By choosing to lie about her husband for her own personal benefit, Amber Heard forever changed Mr. Depp’s reputation. This is a defamation case, it's a case about how devastating words can be when they're false and uttered publicly. A person who makes a false statement about someone else can be held responsible. That's because words matter. They paint a picture in our mind."

The trial - which is thought to last a reported six weeks - is set to include witness testimonies from actors James Franco and Paul Bettany and tech mogul Elon Musk but it is expected that they will give their testimonies virtually.

Over the weekend, Amber insisted she hopes the exes can "move on" after their defamation dispute.

Discussing the trial on social media, the 'Aquaman' actress said: "I'm going to go offline for the next several weeks.

"As you may know, I'll be in Virginia where I face my ex-husband Johnny Depp in court.

"Johnny is suing me for an op-ed I wrote in the Washington Post, in which I recounted my experience of violence and domestic abuse."

Reference: Bang Showbiz