Heard has made the claim that Depp’s lawyer Adam Waldman defamed her in statements in which the attorney called Heard’s allegations of domestic abuse a “hoax” as well as an “ambush.” The actress is counter-suing Depp for $100 million, alleging that Depp’s lawyer’s remarks cost her her career.
On Tuesday, Depp’s legal team asked Judge Penney Azcarte to toss out the countersuit, arguing that Heard should be suing Waldman instead of Depp. Azcarte denied the request, saying there was enough evidence to suggest that Depp had asked his attorney to make those remarks.
That same day a March recording of Walter Hamada, the president of DC Films, was played for the court in which Hamada testified as a witness for Depp, and said that Heard’s role in “Aquaman 2” was never planned as a co-lead role.
“The size of the role of the film that she has was determined in the early development of the script, which would have happened in 2018 I would say. The character’s involvement in the story was sort of what it was from the beginning,” Hamada testified in the deposition.
“From the early stages of development of the script, the movie was built around the character of Arthur and the character Orm. Arthur being Jason Momoa and Orm being Patrick Wilson. They were always the co-leads of the movie.”
Heard claimed her role in “Aquaman 2” was scaled back and that she had to “fight” to be in the movie. Hamada says Heard’s role in the sequel was re-evaluated because she and the film’s lead, Mamoa, had chemistry issues. Though he pointed out that this is not unusual in filmmaking, the statement contradicts Heard’s claim that Depp was the cause of her “scaled back” role.
“It’s like what makes a movie star a movie star. You know it when you see it. And the chemistry wasn’t there,” Hamada said in the deposition. “A good editor and a good filmmaker can pick the right takes and pick the right moments and put scenes together against score. The music in the scene makes a big difference.”
Witnesses on behalf of Heard will no longer be called to the stand. On Tuesday, Heard’s legal team rested their case. Depp’s legal team will continue to present rebuttal witnesses until Wednesday. Those may include supermodel Kate Moss, whom Depp dated from 1994 until 1997. Heard made the claim that Depp pushed Moss down a flight of stairs, and mentioning Moss may have opened the door for Depp’s legal team to invite her to the stand.
A key witness, Jennifer Howell, also testified on Tuesday. Howell is the ex-best friend of Heard’s younger sister Whitney Henriquez. Howell is the head of the non-profit organization The Art of Elysium. Howell says Heard’s sister came to stay with her in her guest bedroom because she was “terrified of her sister.” Heard’s sister Whitney, also told Howell that Heard attacked Depp and almost pushed her down the stairs. She told Howell that she was worried Heard “was going to kill Johnny.”