During the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard defamation trial, the ACLU’s general counsel testified that Heard’s op-ed on domestic violence was timed to capitalize on Aquaman‘s publicity campaign.
Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp is attempting to sue his ex-wife, Amber Heard, on the grounds of defamation, following an op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post, which Depp claims harmed his career. While the op-ed, in which Heard discussed experiences of domestic violence, did not name Depp, he has claimed that the piece implies he was abusive towards her, an allegation Depp denies.
On Thursday, Terence Dougherty, general counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), appeared in a video deposition played by Johnny Depp’s lawyers. The ACLU was involved in creating and placing Amber Heard’s op-ed. Dougherty asked about an email sent in December 2018 in the run-up to the op-ed’s publication, in which Jessica Weitz, the ALCU’s director of artist engagement, wrote “The goal is to get this out this week to capitalize on the tremendous campaign for Aquaman.”
“From the ACLU’s perspective, Amber is about to receive an incredible amount of press and be in the public eye,” Dougherty explained in response to the quote. “So what better a time would it be than now to put out this op-ed, so that it generates significant readership about our issues?” Amber Heard appeared as Mera in Aquaman, which was released in December 2018.
The defamation trial is being broadcast live on Court TV. The trial is also being live-streamed on Court TV’s website, though it is not available on any other online or streaming platforms. The trial is taking place in Fairfax, Virginia, and is expected to last several weeks.
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Source: Variety
