Johnny Depp Performs for a Second Time in England Before Amber Heard Defamation Trial Verdict
Johnny Depp is turning to music.
The 58-year-old actor performed at a second show in England on Monday night, following last Friday's closing arguments for his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard in Virginia. The Pirates of the Caribbean star joined friend and collaborator Jeff Beck on guitar at Royal Albert Hall in London. The pair first stepped out together onstage at Sheffield City Hall on Sunday night.
"He came knocking on my dressing room door about five years ago and we haven't stopped laughing since," Beck, 77, said as he introduced Depp, in footage shared to Twitter. "We kept it quiet for obvious reasons, but here he is, my good mate."
The BBC reported that Depp sang their song "Isolation," a take on the John Lennon track that the actor and guitarist released in 2020.
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On Beck's website, Depp is referred to as the rock star's "unexpected co-conspirator," adding that the pair had "been working on music together for a while now." Beck added at the time, "You'll be hearing more from Johnny and me in a little while but until then we hope you find some comfort and solidarity in our take on this Lennon classic."
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A seven-person jury began deliberating on Friday in Depp's ongoing trial against Heard, 36, in Fairfax County, Virginia. He's suing the Aquaman actress for defamation over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote about coming forward with domestic abuse claims. He's seeking $50 million in damages, claiming it stifled his career prospects.
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Heard is countersuing for defamation, claiming that public statements made by Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman that called her allegations "fake" and an "abuse hoax" ruined her reputation and halted her career.
Earlier in his testimony, Depp discussed his music career and playing guitar, plus how becoming a musician was always his first ambition. He is part of the band Hollywood Vampires with rockers Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.
He spoke about his passion for guitar-playing while arguing why he wouldn't have severed his finger himself during an alleged 2015 fight with Heard in Australia. (He says she threw a liquor bottle at him which cut off the tip of his finger, which she denied.)
The jury resumes deliberation on Tuesday after the Memorial Day holiday. When the verdict comes through, it'll be 18 months since Depp lost his U.K. libel case.
Back in November 2020, the actor lost the highly publicized libel lawsuit case in London against British tabloid The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater." The court upheld the outlet's claims as being "substantially true" and Heard testified to back up the claims. In March 2021, his attempt to overturn the decision was overruled.
