Inside the courtroom at the Johnny Depp defamation trial

Johnny Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard reached a key moment this week when the actor took to the stand to give his version of the breakdown of their relationship.

At the core of the high-profile case is an article Heard wrote for the Washington Post describing herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse” two years after she’d been granted a restraining order against Depp. Over the three weeks of the trial so far many disturbing details have emerged, and claims of abuse have been met with counterclaims.

As mud is thrown inside the courtroom, fans of one party or the other stand outside it hoping to catch a glimpse of the protagonists. Meanwhile, hundreds line up before dawn in Fairfax, Virginia, in the hope of gaining admission to watch the trial up close. Those who can’t watch the case in the flesh can watch it on television or online, with cameras zooming in on the two performers’ faces as they listen to evidence they either hope will restore their reputation or fear will damage it further.

The journalist Nick Wallis, who has been in court covering the case, tells In the News what it is like, what is at stake and what the rest of the trial might hold.

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If you are affected by the issues raised in this report, help is available from Women’s Aid (1800-341900), Safe Ireland (1800-341900) and Men’s Aid (01-5543811).