By Lisa Richwine

(Reuters) – Johnny Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, will return to the witness stand on Monday in a defamation trial stuffed with graphic allegations of bodily and emotional abuse from each side.

Jurors within the case have listened to specific recordings of the couple’s arguments and testimony a couple of severed finger, feces in a mattress and an alleged sexual assault with a bottle.

Depp, 58, is suing Heard, 36, for $50 million, saying she defamed him when she claimed she was a sufferer of home abuse. Heard has counter-sued for $100 million, arguing Depp smeared her by calling her a liar.

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star testified that he by no means hit Heard and argued that she was the abuser of their relationship. In early 2015 shortly after their wedding ceremony, Heard threw a vodka bottle that lower off the highest of Depp’s proper center finger, he mentioned.

In April 2016, Depp mentioned, feces had been discovered within the couple’s mattress. Considered one of his safety guards testified that Heard instructed him the feces had been left there as a “horrible sensible joke gone mistaken.”

Heard, finest identified for her position in “Aquaman,” has denied severing Depp’s finger and mentioned she solely hit him to defend herself or her sister. In tearful testimony about that evening, she mentioned Depp assaulted her by inserting a liquor bottle in her vagina whereas he threatened to kill her.

Heard has not but been cross-examined by Depp’s legal professionals.

The authorized case hinges on a December 2018 opinion piece Heard authored within the Washington Put up. The article by no means talked about Depp by identify, however his lawyer instructed jurors it was clear Heard was referencing him. The couple’s divorce was finalized in 2017 after lower than two years of marriage.

Depp, as soon as amongst Hollywood’s largest stars, mentioned Heard’s allegations price him “every little thing.” A brand new “Pirates” film was placed on maintain, and Depp was changed within the “Unbelievable Beasts” movie franchise, a “Harry Potter” spinoff.

Heard’s attorneys have argued that she instructed the reality and that her opinion was protected free speech beneath the U.S. Structure’s First Modification.

Closing arguments are scheduled for Could 27.

Lower than two years in the past, Depp misplaced a libel case in opposition to the Solar, a British tabloid that labeled him a “spouse beater.” A London Excessive Courtroom choose dominated he had repeatedly assaulted Heard.

Depp’s legal professionals filed the case in Fairfax County, Virginia, as a result of the Washington Put up is printed there. The newspaper is just not a defendant.