The legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in these weeks has been a wild affair, whether we’re talking solely about the events that have been viewable on TV or also taking into account the online commentary. We’ve also seen how quickly things can change with this defamation trial. For instance, it was reported that Depp was expected to take the stand as a rebuttal witness on Wednesday or Thursday, but now it’s looking like that might not happen anymore, with a source close to Heard’s side using a bicycle and fish analogy to address the potential change of course.
Johnny Depp has already taken the stand for numerous days, where he’s talked about things like when he realized his relationship with Amber Heard was crumbling and alleging she once threw a bottle towards him that shattered and severed his finger. The defense team was expected to call Depp back to the stand later this week, but here’s what this unnamed source tied told Deadline about why that may no longer be necessary:
Calling Depp back to the stand would be as relevant to us as a bicycle to a fish. Everything Depp has testified up to this point has been irrelevant to the heart of this case, and there’s no reason to believe it would be any different now.
This fish and bicycle analogy was popularized by journalist and activist Gloria Steinem in 1970, and now it’s being used to explain why Johnny Depp may not return to the stand. That being said, that isn’t set in stone just yet, as it’s possible that Depp could come back on May 25 as a rebuttal witness for his own case. Both legal teams in this trial were given roughly 61 hours to present their cases to the judge and jury, so it may boil down to how much time Depp’s side has left. However, going off this latest update, evidently Heard and her defense team may not feel the need to bring Depp back under oath, which was described as a “high-wire move” when it looked like more of a certainty.
Judge Penney Azcarate has set closing arguments for the trial on May 27, so we only have days to go before this current chapter in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard legal saga is finished. Johnny Depp’s team is reportedly expected to bring the actor’s ex-girlfriend Kate Moss and Warner Bros. executive Walter Hamada to the stand virtually over the next few days, but by the end of the week, the jury will go behind closed doors to reach a verdict on this case. Assuming the defense has indeed chosen not to call Depp back to the stand, it’s expected to conclude run of witnesses later today by bringing in expert witness and Hollywood agency consultant Katherine Arnold.
Among the other things that have happened in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial during the last week alone include Heard claiming her ex-husband once tried to kill her, Depp’s former agent explaining why the actor’s career was suffering prior to Heard’s allegations, Heard saying her role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was reduced, and Depp reacting to if Disney ever entertained the idea of paying him “$300 million and a million alpacas” to appear in another Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how the trial is coming along.