50$ Million Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Defamation Trial Will Be Aired Live on Court TV

A defamation case filed by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million is set to go to trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, next week. Due to the planned witnesses, who include James Franco and Elon Musk, it is likely to get a great deal of media interest on its own, and now Court TV has announced that it will be delivering the live telecast.

A news statement from the network said that it will “provide viewers unobstructed and unbiased views of the proceedings.” The network will serve as the official feed provider for the litigation. Court TV will also broadcast its own commentary of the trial.

“Court cases that are as high-profile as this one often create a lot of noise, and it can be difficult for viewers to break through these distractions to have a clear picture of the facts, but that’s where we come in,” said Acting Head of Court TV Ethan Nelson in a statement.

“Between the camera feed directly from the courtroom and our first-class lineup of talent, Court TV will be the true source of an unbiased, down-the-middle perspective of the trial as it unfolds.” He continues.

Depp filed a libel suit against Heard over her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in 2019, in which she recounted her experiences as a “public survivor of abuse.”

Divorce proceedings between Heard and Depp began in 2016. She accused him of verbal and physical abuse during their relationship after he was given a restraining order due to domestic violence claims. They finalized their divorce in January 2017.

Depp sued The Sun for libel for labelling him a “wife beater.” The UK’s High Court then ruled in November 2020 that most of Heard’s accusations against Depp were “substantially true.” Moreover, Heard later admits to many aggressive actions against Depp in tape released in February 2020.

The legal quagmire has undoubtedly harmed Depp’s career. Disney stated in 2019 that he will be replaced in the Pirates of the Caribbean and J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts trilogy has replaced him with Mads Mikkelsen. 

Lately, he has starred in City of Lies as an LAPD officer investigating Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.’s deaths, he has a number of other projects in development.