Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial: Heard's witnesses continue

Jessica Kovacevic, Heard's talent agent from William Morris Endeavor, testified about the opportunities Heard lost after comments made in the Daily Mail by Depp's former attorney.

Adam Waldman is quoted in a 2020 article accusing Heard of fabricating the abuse allegations against Depp, calling them a "hoax."

In a video deposition taped in March and played for the court on Thursday, Kovacevic said that following the accusations that she was lying, Heard lost a deal she'd had with Amazon for film, an endorsement deal, and a beauty campaign with L'Oreal.

“No one out loud can say they're taking this away from her because you know of this bad press," Kovacevic said when asked of the connection to Waldman's comments. "Because it's nothing she did, and it's all hearsay ... but there’s no other reason."

Heard's career did not take off after the success of "Aquaman," despite the fact that it was a blockbuster hit, Kovacevic said. The agent said it was abnormal that someone with already moderate success would not get a number of endorsement deals or movie offerings after being a co-lead in such a large movie franchise.

"In my experience, and the experience of my colleagues ... your career takes a turn after something like that," Kovacevic said. "She was very well received in the movie at the time. Everyone was very happy with her at the time. There was no issues. And then to have a complete downturn after that, and then have that coincide with constant tweets and negativity put out about her."

"I don't have a physical piece of paper of evidence but it's the only logical conclusion I can draw," Kovacevic said.

Lawyer Eric George testified that Heard followed all his advice legal advice to avoid any lawsuits from a 2018 op-ed she penned for the Washington Post.

That opinion piece is at heart of Depp's defamation lawsuit now being heard in a Northern Virginia courtroom.

In a 2021 deposition that was played for jurors on Thursday, George said he spent significant time reviewing Heard's piece so that there'd be no "meritorious claim that could be brought against her," especially against any potential defamation lawsuit.

"She affirmatively did follow, in all instances, my counsel in respect to these particular edits," said George.

Actor Ellen Barkin testified that she became friends with Depp in the 1990s and developed a brief sexual relationship with him after she moved to Hollywood in 1994.

Barkin said that she saw Depp multiple times a week over the course of several months and that he was a "jealous" and "controlling" man.

"I had a scratch on my back once that he got very, very, angry ...he insisted it came from me having sex with a person who wasn't him during that time," Barkin said.

Barkin said that she saw Depp become out of control during an argument while they were filming "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." Depp threw a wine bottle across a hotel room in the direction of her and other people at the time.

Tina Newman, production executive at The Walt Disney Studios, denied that any decision-maker at the company led the company to keep Depp out of the sixth "Pirates of the Caribbean" film.

Depp’s attorneys have claimed that Depp suffered monetary damages in the form of a lost deal with Disney over being dropped from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” due to Heard’s op-ed.

Newman was responsible for gathering documents as a corporate designee for Disney and testified that none of the documents she saw had reference in any manner to the 2018 opinion-editorial written by Heard in 2018.

"Are you aware of any decision maker outside of Disney — and by this I'm including producers, directors, people of that ilk — who have ever said they were not considering Mr. Depp for 'Pirates' six or any other movie because of Amber Heard's op-ed from December 2018?"

"No," Newman responded.

Michelle Mulroney, Heard's former attorney, said she was representing Heard in post-nuptial agreement discussions when Depp called to fire her on Heard's behalf.

Mulroney said she was working on Heard's behalf in February 2015, emailing back and forth with Depp's attorney over the contract. California is a community property state, generally meaning that each party had 50 percent stake in earnings made during that marriage, Mulroney testified.

Heard was filming a project but had agreed to a confidentiality agreement requested by Depp's legal team and had asked for information regarding his potential earnings for the deal, according to emails from Mulroney.

Mulroney received a "very mean" phone call from Depp in which he said he was firing her on behalf of Heard, she testified.

"Well, my only exact recollection is he called me a bitch,” Mulroney said when asked to describe that she meant by "very mean" call.

Mulroney said that she believed Depp was inebriated during the call because of his slurred words and speech pattern.

“I just was extremely rattled by the call," Mulroney said. "I was on the phone for a very short time … I didn’t want to be rude but I told him I had to hang up like, after two or three minutes. After I realized what was happening.”

Depp did not have the authority to fire Mulroney, she testified, but her working relationship with Heard ended within a few days time.

During his testimony, Depp testified that Heard had been distraught over conversations regarding a post-nuptial agreement. He said that she told him that he was "trying to trick her into getting nothing if something were to happen."

Depp testified that she instigated the argument in March 2015 between the couple that led to his finger being severed in Australia.

Ron Schnell, director of Berkeley Research Group, testified on Thursday that he examined hashtags related to Heard and Depp from April 2020 to January 2022, during which he noticed more than 2 million negative tweets related to Heard.

That included usage of the hashtags “JusticeForJohnnyDepp,” “AmberHeardIsAnAbuser,” “WeJustDontLikeYouAmber” and “AmberTurd.”

Testimony resumed after lunch on Thursday with noted computer programmer Ron Schnell taking the witness stand.

Schnell is the director of Berkeley Research Group. He’s been brought to the stand to testify as an expert about statistical and forensic analysis of social media.

Court adjourned at about 12:40 p.m. ET for an hourlong lunch break.

Heard's last witness prior to the break was Marie Sadanaga, the domestic violence coordinator for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Sadanaga offered general background on how police officers are instructed to respond to suspected domestic violence calls, even if a potential victim does not wish to submit to an interview or press charges.

Adam Waldman, Depp's former attorney, claimed attorney-client privilege when asked questions about the comments he made in the Daily Mail that Heard's abuse allegations are a "hoax."

Those three statements to the Daily Mail made in 2020 are the center of Heard's countersuit against Depp. Waldman admitted to making the comments quoted to him by Heard's attorney.

"Did you make these statements on Mr. Depp's behalf?" Heard's attorney asked.

Waldman was instructed not to answer to protect communications made under attorney-client privilege.

"What were you trying to convey to the press making these statements?" Heard's attorney asked.

Waldman was instructed not to answer to protect communications made under attorney-client privilege.

"Did you discuss these statements with Mr. Depp before making these statements?" Heard's attorney asked.

Waldman was instructed not to answer to protect communications made under attorney-client privilege.

"Was Mr. Depp aware either before or after that you were making these statements?" Heard's attorney asked.

Waldman was instructed not to answer to protect communications made under attorney-client privilege.

"Did Mr. Depp ever ask you to retract or correct these statements?" Heard's attorney asked.

Waldman was instructed not to answer to protect communications made under attorney-client privilege.