Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial: Why was Amber Heard's friend Eve Barlow barred from the courthouse?
by Ana Walia | Mon, 18 Apr 2022 20:56:41 GMT
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp. Image Source: MARCA 

Actress Amber Heard and actor Johnny Depp are facing each other in a defamation trial in Fairfax County, Virginia! Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for $50 million over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018 and in response, Heard countersued Johnny Depp for $100 million, claiming that she had only stated the truth in her opinion. The op-ed detailed Amber's survival and experience as a domestic violence survivor. 

The trial started on April 11th and is expected to last up to six weeks during which a lot of people are expected to testify for the former couple. According to an eye witness who attended the $50 million defamation trial on Thursday, Amber Heard’s friend Eve Barlow, former deputy editor of the music bible NME and a New York Magazine contributor, was escorted out of the courtroom after she was caught texting and live-tweeting from the front row of the courtroom. The front row of the courtroom is usually reserved for legal counsel.

It was reported by the sources that Eve Barlow had been by Amber Heard’s side for the past year and had been acting like a member of her legal team. She even tried to intervene in the trial when Johnny Depp’s friend Gina Deuters took a stand. The sources revealed that it was Eve Barlow who tried to advocate for Amber Heard by asking her legit legal team to take cross-questioning from Gina Deuters and show the judge that she was compromised as a witness.

Gina Deuters was asked to leave the courtroom after she admitted that she had watched the clips of the trial online. Gina’s testimony was struck from the record as Amber Heard’s legal team pointed out a social media post that she had shared related to the trial. In reality, the social media post that Gina shared in 2021 was about Johnny Depp’s trial against the British tabloid, 'The Sun'. (Johnny Depp lost that case)

Eve Barlow, Amber Heard's friend is barred from courtroom during the trial. Image Source: rmitjournalists 

Speaking of Eve Barlow, Johnny Depp’s lawyer responded by pushing a motion to have Eve permanently removed from the courtroom, which Judge Penney Azcarate approved.

The source claimed that Eve Barlow sat in the front row with Amber Heard’s legal team and was caught texting and live-tweeting about the trial, and when Johnny Depp’s lawyer caught her, they requested the judge to get her barred from the courtroom as she went ahead to post information about the trial, which was against the court orders. She has been asked not to come back into the courtroom during the trial.

The Thursday trial also had depositions heard from the former couple’s former marriage counselor Dr. Laurel Anderson, Johnny Depp’s doctor, Dr. David Kipper, who helped him with substance abuse, Amber Heard’s former personal assistant Kate James, Johnny Depp’s friend Isaac Baruch, and his sister Christi Dembrowski.

It has also been reported that both actors will be taking a stand as well to present themselves in front of the judge. According to sources close, Johnny Depp is expected to take a stand on Tuesday and will continue on the stand on Wednesday for cross-questioning as well. On Monday, the jury heard more video testimony from Dr. David Kipper who had already shared that he never saw Johnny Depp hurting Amber Heard, mentioned that he had diagnosed Johnny Depp with bipolar disorder, chronic substance abuse disorder, ADHD, depression, insomnia, and chronic reflux. 

Dr. David Kipper testified for Johnny Depp stating that he never saw any abuse against Amber Heard. Image Source: Sky News 

Debbie Lloyd, Johnny Depp’s private nurse who worked with Dr. David Kipper also testified that on her arrival at the former couple's house she saw it to be a mess. Debbie explained that when she entered the house she saw there was writing on the wall and a smashed TV and added that she remembers that Amber Heard threw a bottle of Vodka at him and he had slammed it with a phone.

Debbie mentioned in her testimony that she saw the actor sitting with his bloody knuckles after he had punched a whiteboard in frustration. The notes from the nurse additionally stated that on an October 2014 set visit Depp was “verbally aggressive to another person on set so no apparent reason.” She added that she believes that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's arguments during their time together were triggers for him emotionally.

Hollywood lawyer and commentator Allison Hope Weiner mentioned that Amber Heard would very much like to be the star of this drama, but she is not because when Johnny Depp takes a stand, it’s him and because he’s very likable, it’s going to be a hard act to follow for the actress. Allison also added that the celebrities are professionally charming and, even when the audience is trying not to like them, they will make you like them. The trial is expected to last six weeks! 

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