Johnny Depp likens Amber Heard defamation trial to a ‘soap opera’

Johnny Depp has kept a relatively low profile since winning his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard two years ago.

The seven-week trial in 2022 created a media frenzy with surprise celebrity witnesses, including Kate Moss and Ellen Barkin, and hundreds of fans lined up daily outside the Virginia courthouse to catch a mere glimpse of the actors.

Depp addressed the circus surrounding the bizarre trial during a press conference Tuesday at the San Sebastián Film Festival for his latest movie, “Modi – Three Days on the Wing of Madness.”

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In his second directorial feature, Depp compared his own challenging life stories to those of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. The movie focuses on a 72-hour whirlwind during World War I in Paris as Modigliani maneuvers “bombs, policemen, girlfriends and critics in a increasingly desperate search of a home for his art,” according to IMDb. 

“Each [character] has their story because I’m sure we can say that I’ve been through number of things here and there,” he said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “Maybe yours didn’t turn into a soap opera. I mean, literally, televised.”

Depp added, “But we all go through what we go through. So to see these people on the verge of earning their stripes.… There’s something beautiful to me about those days living in a tiny studio apartment just off Hollywood Boulevard in a dangerous neighborhood. They were tough. They were rough, ugly; they were weird, all kinds of stuff, but they were beautiful.”

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Riccardo Scamarcio stars as Modigliani, alongside Antonia Desplat, Stephen Graham and Al Pacino, who coaxed Depp into directing the movie years ago.

Depp was encouraged to direct the film by Al Pacino. (Getty Images)

Depp was awarded $10.35 million in damages after a jury found Heard defamed him on all counts following a weeks-long trial in 2022. (Getty Images)

Depp attempted his best Pacino impression when remembering the conversation, “Hey, you remember that Modi thing I was on about a few years ago, I think you should direct it.”

He added, “For some reason, they saw me driving this strange machine. I mean, when Pacino speaks, you must listen.”

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Depp was awarded $10.35 million in damages after a jury declared Heard defamed Depp on all counts following a seven-week trial in Virginia amid allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault. The trial ended in June 2022.

Heard lost the defamation case, but was awarded $2 million in her countersuit as jurors found that Depp defamed her through his attorney.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard were only married for one year before she filed for divorce from the actor. (Fred Thornhill TPX)

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star initially sought a $50 million payout over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed Heard wrote that didn’t specifically name Depp, but discussed her experiences with domestic abuse at the hands of a former partner. Heard had countersued for $100 million in damages. 

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Less than one month after the ruling, Heard filed a notice of appeal to overturn the verdict. “We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment. We are therefore appealing the verdict,” Heard’s spokesperson said in a statement at the time.

The trial turned into a media frenzy with fans lining up daily for a chance to see Depp in court. (Michael Reynolds/AP Photo)

In December, the former couple reached a settlement that included a $1 million payment from Heard to Depp and finalized all financial claims.

“We are pleased to formally close the door on this painful chapter for Mr. Depp, who made clear throughout this process that his priority was about bringing the truth to light,” Depp’s lawyers, Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez, said in a statement.

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