On May 16, the infamous Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial will continue in Fairfax County, Virginia. Several witnesses, both new and old, are anticipated to take the stand, including two celebs in the spotlight. Later on Monday, Amber Heard might face cross-examination. Depp is also scheduled to testify for the second time, this one as a defense witness after already witnessing for days on his own behalf about his troubled affair and marriage with his ex-wife.
Which major witnesses will testify on Amber Heard’s behalf?
Whitney Henriquez, Heard’s sister, and actress Ellen Barkin are slated to testify for the defense. Barkin dated Depp in the late 1990s while they were both filming Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. She allegedly testified in Depp’s lost libel case against The Sun in 2020 that Depp flung a wine bottle in her way during a heated moment in a hotel room. Depp disputed the charge, claiming that Barkin had a grudge against him. Henriquez claimed during the same trial that she saw injuries on Heard’s face initially in the relationship.
Related: Who is Ellen Barkin: Johnny Depp’s Ex-Girlfriend Who’s Testifying For Amber Heard
The Aquaman 2 actress also mentioned her sister when discussing the one occasion she admitted to physically assaulting Depp. Heard testified that Depp swiped at Henriquez as she sought to settle a dispute between the pair after a heated discussion in March 2015. “Whitney’s back was to the staircase, and Johnny swings at her,” she testified on Thursday. “And I swung at him,” she continued. “In all of my relationship to date with Johnny, I hadn’t landed a blow. And I, for the first time, hit him — like, actually hit him. Square in the face.
Related: All Amber Heard Accusations That Were Debunked During The Defamation Trial
Can these two witnesses cause Johnny Depp to lose?
Last week, Heard’s team began telling her tale, presenting a horrific picture of Depp’s relentless, drug-fueled domestic abuse. Close observers of the trial believe that at least one of these two witnesses will be vital in demonstrating the actress’s innocence. While Depp and his defense team have gone to great efforts to portray Heard as an aggressive manipulator who killed an innocent man, Barkin’s evidence may cast doubt on that theory. “Ellen’s testimony will be critical to Heard’s [case],” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told The Daily Beast, adding that Heard “needs independent witnesses to corroborate her story”. Another expert also said, “Whitney Henriquez’s testimony in person could be impactful. A sister’s bond is strong, her emotional state and what she might say about what she saw personally or what was conveyed to her by her sister as events happened will be powerful”.
Many people, though, still feel Johnny will win this lawsuit. “Ellen Barkin’s star power might now be what Amber Heard’s team are counting on, [but] coming in via video is not going to be as impactful as if she were sitting on the stand in front of them,” Juda Engelmayer, a crisis communications expert said. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani also said, [Johnny] will try to call Heard’s exes in rebuttal to show she was violent and abusive. Heard needs to counter this narrative and bring Ellen to tell the jury that Heard wasn’t the only victim of Depp’s domestic violence. Heard’s sister won’t cut it”.
Related: Court bars Amber Heard from using the leaked bloody lip photo in Johnny Depp trail?
