Keep calm. Johnny Depp’s fans were called out by the presiding judge to maintain order in the courthouse. On April 25, 2022, Judge Penney Azcarate called out the fans when laughter erupted during one of Depp’s comments in his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
Depp’s defamation trial against Heard began in early April 2022. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for an 2018 Washington Post op-ed where she described being abused by a man who people presumed to be Depp. Depp claims that the op-ed had tarnished his career in Hollywood. This lawsuit also comes right after Depp went after U.K. newspaper The Sun for libel for calling him a “wife-beater,” but ultimately had the case denied.
When asked about the movie franchises he’s been in other than Pirates of the Caribbean, Depp named Alice in Wonderland before struggling to list any other films. “I’m so pathetic when it comes to knowing what movies I’ve done. I’m sorry. I just, I don’t watch them. I feel better not watching them. What was the question again?” The response elicited a loud eruption of laughter among the spectators at the trial. Judge Azcarate announced, “Order in the court or I will have you removed. Understood? Thank you.”
Before the trial began, the Fairfax, Virginia court ordered strict rules for the highly publicized trial. A court document stated that neither Depp nor Heard can “pose for pictures or sign autographs in the Courthouse or on Courthouse grounds,” if so then they would be “punished accordingly.” Fans have waited in line to witness the trial. However, the document also stated etiquette in which there “will be no overnight camping on Courthouse grounds” and “all spectators are expected to dress in a manner consistent with the decorum of a judicial proceeding.”
The court also warned that “audible comments of any kind during the court proceedings or provocative or uncivil behavior within the courtroom or courthouse will not be tolerated. There shall be no gestures, facial expressions, or the like, suggesting approval or disapproval during the proceedings. Anyone violating this Order will be expelled immediately from the courtroom and will not be able to return during the pendency of the trial.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) for confidential support.