Background
In the spring of 2022, all eyes were on the spectacle that was
the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial. Held in Fairfax
County, Virginia, the trial was livestreamed on television for
viewers across the world to watch the litigation unfold.
In 2018, Heard had authored a Washington Post op-ed, an
article in which the author states their opinion about a given
topic, referring to herself as a "public figure representing
domestic abuse." Depp, who was not named in the article,
commenced an action for defamation against Heard in Virginia.
Heard, in turn, filed a countersuit for defamation. Depp was
ultimately successful on all three of his defamation claims, while
Heard was successful on one counterclaim.
