Amber Heard appeared to flinch as Johnny Depp walked towards her in court on Thursday before a lunch break in their tense libel trial.
The ‘Aquaman’ actress stepped down from her second day on the stand just as the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star left the Virginia courtroom in a now viral video tweeted by a Law&Crime Network producer.
At first, Heard looked down and didn’t seem to notice Depp had risen from his seat, but once she saw him approaching a few feet ahead of her, she seemingly backed away with a frightened expression on her face. his face.
The ‘Adderall Diaries’ star then backed into a corner as a guard stepped between the exes and held out his hand, signaling the ‘Edward Scissorhands’ actor not to approach.
Depp didn’t seem to mind the near-snap, shrugging and even letting out what sounded like a chuckle.
TMZ reported on Saturday that the former couple’s check-ins and check-outs are arranged by court aides who work with the stars’ security teams to stagger the timing.
Depp, 58, sued Heard, 36, for defamation in 2019 over a Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote that she had been sexually abused.
Heard did not name the ‘Sweeney Todd’ star in the 2018 article, but it was published after she obtained a restraining order against him in 2016 for his alleged abuse, which he denied with vehemence.
Depp is seeking $50 million in damages. Heard filed a countersuit for $100 million in 2020.
The “Rum Diary” co-stars were married from 2015 to 2017.
The trial is on hiatus until May 16 and oral arguments are scheduled for May 27.