Amber Heard versus Johnny Depp.
For many weeks, the trial between the two movie stars has captivated the general public and aroused often violent and passionate reactions on social media in favor of one or the other.
It is now coming to an end.
We have to believe that Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla (TSLA), is one of those who listened to the often poignant testimonies of this trial. The billionaire, who was one of the potential witnesses, has just delivered his opinion on this case.
The tech tycoon dated Heard briefly after her split from Johnny Depp. He also had donated at least $500.000 to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Heard's name, according to a testimony from Terence Dougherty, the general counsel and chief operating officer of the nonprofit.
Last month, Dougherty said, in a prerecorded deposition played in Depp's defamation trial against Heard, that ACLU received $500,000 from a donor-advised fund at Vanguard.
He added that he believes the money was coming from a fund set up by Musk who had emailed Anthony Romero, the executive director of the ACLU, in 2016.
'At Their Best, They Are Each Incredible'
Heard had pledged to donate the entire 2016 settlement of her divorce from Depp to two organizations: ACLU and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
After remaining silent for the first six weeks of the trial, Musk finally broke his silence on May 27. It all started with a tweet from podcaster Lex Fridman, which seemed to be a criticism of Amber Heard.
"My takeaways from Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial:
1. Fame is one hell of a drug (for some).
2. Psychiatrists & lawyers come in drastically varying levels of skill.
3. Lying to millions of people is something humans are capable of.
4. Love can be messy.
5. Mega pint of wine."
Musk, who was ultimately not called to testify, responded to the tweet trying to calm things down.
"I hope they both move on," Musk, 50, answered. "At their best, they are each incredible."
He took no sides and seems to have chosen to remain neutral.
Depp Had Lost A Defamation Lawsuit ... In England
Depp accuses his ex-wife of having ruined his reputation with an op-ed published in 2018 in the Washington Post, where she claimed to have become "a public figure representing domestic violence," without naming Johnny Depp.
"Two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out," Heard wrote.
Depp decided to sue for defamation and is seeking $50 million in damages. In response, Amber Heard countersued and asked for the double, accusing her ex-husband of wanting to "ruin her career".
Depp's attorneys say he also lost nearly $40 million after the domestic abuse charges. Heard denied Depp's defamation allegations but said he physically assaulted her before and during their marriage.
The lawyers of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp presented their conclusions on May 27. It was their last chance to convince the jury of a highly publicized trial that revealed the most scandalous details of the relationship between the two actors.
The culmination of six weeks of debates and dozens of hours of testimonies. The seven jurors entered deliberations but could not a reach a decision on May 27. They will come back on Tuesday because Monday is a holiday.
The case also fascinates social media. Twitter and TikTok users have taken sides, making fun of Amber Heard's speech. On these two social networks, the hashtag “#JusticeForJohnny” far exceeded the hashtag “#IAmWithAmberHeard”.
Already in 2016, Heard was treated on social media as a “liar”, “manipulator” or “demon” when she filed for divorce.
Depp lost another defamation lawsuit in England in 2020 against The Sun newspaper, which called him "a violent husband to Amber Heard".
