The biggest moments from Johnny Depp's libel trial against News Group Newspapers

• Johnny Depp is suing News Group Newspapers for libel over a 2018 article published by The Sun that referred to him as a "wife beater" in reference to his former marriage with Amber Heard.
• The case between Depp and The Sun started on July 7, and included testimony from Depp, Heard (who is the star witness for NGN), as well as from Depp's famous exes including Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis.
• Closing statements were delivered in court on Monday and Tuesday, with a verdict expected to take at least a few weeks.
• Here are the biggest moments from the complex court case so far.

Johnny Depp's libel case against News Group Newspapers is coming to a close.

Depp is suing the company over a 2018 article in The Sun that referred to him as a "wife beater." The phrase was used in reference to his former marriage with Amber Heard, which lasted from 2015 until they divorced in 2017.

Their tumultuous relationship resulted in a restraining order, extreme tales of drug and alcohol abuse, cheating rumours, and allegations of domestic abuse from both sides, which both Depp and Heard deny.

The case between Depp and The Sun started on July 7, and included testimony from Depp, Heard (who is the star witness for NGN), as well as from Depp's famous exes including Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis. Depp is suing both News Group Newspapers and The Sun's executive editor Daniel Wootton.

At a preliminary hearing in early March, Depp's lawyer David Sherborne outlined the case to ruling judge Mr. Justice Nicol, as reported by ITV, stating that Depp maintains he has "never physically assaulted his wife, that the alleged incidents of violence on his part has been invented and that actually it was Ms. Heard who was physically violent in the course of the arguments which took place during their marriage."

He added: "Ms Heard claims that Mr Depp physically assaulted her, that she sustained serious injuries as a result and that she was never physically violent towards him at all."

After weeks of sensational allegations from both sides, closing statements were delivered in court on Monday and Tuesday, with a verdict expected to take at least a few weeks.

Here are the biggest moments from the complex court case so far.

A preliminary hearing revealed texts showing Depp attempting to buy drugs

At the initial March hearing, the judge ruled on preliminary issues, such as the disclosure of texts between Depp and his friends, including friend Paul Bettany, and Depp's assistant Nathan Holmes.

Representing NGN, Adam Wolanski said that some of the exchanges between Depp and Holmes showed Depp was trying to get drugs during a trip to Australia, according to The Guardian.

Heard had alleged in her witness statement that a "three-day hostage situation" happened during this trip, where she claimed Depp was high on drugs. However, Depp's team argued that the texts were not relevant to the case.

On June 29, Justice Nicol ruled that Depp was guilty of breaching an order, stating that he should have disclosed texts that were relevant to the case, The Guardian reported.

NGN's lawyers asked the judge to throw out Depp's case due to him not disclosing these texts, which they referred to as the "Australia drug texts."

However, Sherborne argued that the breach was not deliberate, and said that "to punish [Depp] by taking the Draconian step of striking out [the case] would be utterly disproportionate." The judge agreed, and told the defendant's lawyers he would not be striking out the case.

The texts were allowed to be used in court, however.

Depp told the High Court he began taking drugs at age 11

The trial, expected at the time to last three weeks, began on July 7.

On a dramatic first day, Depp told the High Court that he began taking drugs at the age of 11 and did not have "a particularly stable or secure or safe home life," according to court transcripts.

In Depp's written statement, he alleged that Heard was abusive to him and said she even defecated in their bed (claims which she would later deny).

Depp also told the High Court that he has never beaten or been abusive to Heard, and said: "I am from a Southern family and rules were instilled in me from birth by my mother: you would be a Southern gentleman or it would be beaten into you."

Texts about Heard were read out in court that were sent between Depp and actor friend Paul Bettany

On July 7, according to the court transcripts, Depp told the High Court: "Paul Bettany is an actor that I have worked with several times. He is a friend, a good friend, and we have, yes, we have dabbled in drugs together."

Depp listed cocaine, alcohol, Xanax, and Adderall as the substances they used together.

Then, on July 8, according to court transcripts, News Group Newspaper's lawyer Sasha Wass QC read out texts between Depp and Bettany discussing Heard.

One text sent from Depp to Bettany read: "Let's drown her before we burn her!!! I will f--- her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she's dead."

Wass said that Bettany replied: "My thoughts entirely, let's be certain before we pronounce her a witch." Wass clarified that these texts were sent on June 11, 2013.

Depp told Wass that Bettany knew of his and Heard's "arguments and fighting," and also said that Heard "did not like Mr. Bettany."

LAPD officer Melissa Saenz said that she saw no marks on Heard's face

Heard had alleged in her witness statement on July 2 that Depp became violent during an incident in May 2016, when she says he threw a phone at her, and ended up injuring her. Heard wrote about an incident in which she said she was on the phone to her friend iO Tillett Wright, who Depp accused of defecating in his bed.

Heard wrote: "Johnny rushed back down the stairs and grabbed the phone and started screaming into the phone at iO. That was the moment he wound up his arm back like he was a baseball pitcher and threw the phone at my face as hard as he could. The phone hit me in the right cheek and eye."

Depp has since denied the accusations.

The investigating police officer at the time of the alleged incident, domestic violence specialist Melizza Saenz, testified on July 10 via video link from LA that she saw no marks or injury on Heard's face, according to the court transcripts. She also said she searched the apartment where the incident allegedly took place and found no signs of damage.

Depp accused Heard of cheating with Elon Musk and James Franco

Also on July 10, Depp's lawyers alleged that Heard had conducted affairs with actor James Franco, who she starred with in 2015's "The Adderall Diaries," and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Heard and Musk later denied any extramarital affairs.

CCTV footage from Depp and Heard's LA penthouse in May 2016 was shown in court. The footage showed Heard with a man believed to be Franco. Depp and Heard were still together at this time.

Heard said she believed Depp's alleged abuse derived from his "supposed paranoia and mistaken belief" that she was cheating on him. However, Depp's lawyers said that evidence of Heard's "multiple affairs" would be "false motive" for the alleged abuse.

Texts from Depp to his agent were also read in court in which Depp referred to Musk: "Sorry, man...But, NOW, I will stop at nothing!!! Let's see if mollusk has a pair..."

Depp's bodyguard Sean Bett said he had seen Heard being 'verbally and physically abusive'

One of Depp's key witnesses, his bodyguard Sean Bett, appeared in court on July 16 to testify on behalf of Depp. In his witness statement presented to the court, Bett said that he "never saw Mr Depp commit any act of physical violence to another person."

However, Bett did say that he had seen Heard be "verbally and physically abusive towards Mr Depp."

"On many occasions, I witnessed her shout at Mr Depp. I was also told by Mr Depp on multiple occasions that Ms Heard had physically abused him. A very common occurrence throughout the relationship would be that Mr Depp would have me, and other members of his security team, take him away from Ms Heard, due to her behavior."

Bett also said that Depp told him that a facial injury was the result of Heard punching him. Bett said he took photos of the injury, which were shown in court. Bett also said he believed the faeces found in Depp and Heard's bed was Heard's.

"I have observed Ms Heard throwing bottles, glasses and other objects at Mr Depp while being verbally abusive towards him," he said.

Heard later denied all of these accusations.

Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis defended Depp in their witness statements

On Thursday July 16, the witness statements of Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis, both Depp's exes, were presented in court, though neither appeared in person.

Their statements both defended Depp.

Ryder wrote: "I understand that it is very important that I speak from my own experience, as I obviously was not there during his marriage to Amber, but, from my experience, which was so wildly different, I was absolutely shocked, confused and upset when I heard the accusations against him."

Ryder also said that the idea that Depp is "is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved."

"I cannot wrap my head around these accusations. He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen."

Ryder finished by saying "it is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true."

Paradis echoed Ryder's statements, and wrote that Heard's accusations are "nothing like the true Johnny I have known, and from my personal experience of many years, I can say he was never violent or abusive to me."

"I have seen that these outrageous statements have been really distressing, and also caused damage to his career because unfortunately people have gone on believing these false facts," Paradis wrote.

Heard's first day in the witness box saw her describe a 'three-day hostage situation'

Heard had her first day in the witness box as NGN's star witness on July 20. According to the court transcripts, Heard told the High Court that Depp threatened to kill her many times during their relationship, which Depp denies.

In her witness statement, described a "three-day hostage situation" during a trip the former couple took to Australia in 2015.

"We were due to be there for three days on our own, but it was only when I arrived that I realized I was trapped in this remote place without any means to leave," Heard said in her witness statement.

"Over the course of those three days, there were extreme acts of psychological, physical, emotional and other forms of violence," Heard said. "It is the worst thing I have ever been through. I was left with an injured lip and nose and cuts on my arms."

Heard also said in her witness statement that Depp's physical abuse "included punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking me, as well as throwing me into things, pulling me by my hair, and shoving me or pushing me to the ground. He threw things at me, especially glass bottles."

Depp has since denied all of these allegations.

Heard denied having affairs with Musk and Franco

In court on July 21, Heard denied having affairs with both Franco and Musk, the latter of whom she was in an off-and-on relationship with in 2016 after she broke up with Depp.

On the same day, texts were read out from Musk to Heard where the CEO offered to arrange "24/7 security" for the actress after she told him that she wanted a restraining order against Depp.

Musk's text read: "The offer would stand, even if you never wanted to see me again ... anyway, sorry for being an idiot. The radio silence hurts a lot. It only matters because I really like you."

Depp's lawyer, Eleanor Laws QC, also read a statement from Alejandro Romero, the concierge of Depp and Heard's building in LA.

"From March 2015 onwards, Ms. Heard was visited regularly late at night, at around 11 p.m. to midnight, by Mr. Elon Musk," Romero said in his written statement. "I believe he visited Ms Heard a few times a week and he would always visit when Mr Depp was not at home," Romero continued.

In court, Heard refuted this and said Romero was "wrong." According to the court transcripts, Heard denied seeing Musk in 2015. Heard told the court: "He [Romero] was wrong, I was not even in communication with Elon until 2016." Heard said that they were friends. She also denied having an affair with Franco, too.

Laws also showed the aforementioned CCTV footage again of Heard and a man believed to be Franco in the elevator of Heard and Depp's building on May 22 2016, the same day as the texts from Musk. Heard confirmed that the man in the elevator was Franco. She said they rode up in the elavtor at roughly 11 p.m. and rode back down shortly after.

Heard said that when Franco saw her face, he said: "Oh my God, what happened to you?"

Heard said: "In those days, I didn't sleep much at night."

Heard's make-up artist testified that she helped cover up Heard's bruises before her James Corden appearance

On July 22, Heard's former make-up artist Melanie Inglessis appeared in court as a witness, telling the High Court that she helped to cover up bruises and marks on Heard's face for an appearance on James Corden's "The Late Late Show" in 2015.

In her witness statement on July 20, Heard had described an alleged incident from the night before the talk show appearance in which she said she had suffered "one of the worst and most violent nights" in her relationship with Depp. Heard alleged that Depp was physically abusive and that Heard was left with bruises and marks on her face and scalp, as well as a chunk of hair missing from her head.

Inglessis' written statement read: "When I saw Amber, I immediately noticed that she had a split lip and a bruise near her eye. I also saw that there was a chunk of hair missing from her head. Amber told me that Johnny had tried to suffocate her."

Inglessis told the court that she covered up Heard's split lip with bright red lipstick.

Stylist Samantha McMillen had previously testified that she saw no marks on Heard's face, and in her written statement said that she saw Heard with no make-up throughout the day of the talk show appearance on December 16 2015. She wrote: "I could see clearly that Ms. Heard did not have any visible marks, bruises, cuts, or injuries to her face or any other part of her body."

According to the court transcirpt, Laws also cited medical notes from Erin Burin, the nurse who examined Heard shortly after the alleged incident, who wrote that she saw no injuries apart from a bleeding lip. Laws suggested that Heard could have bitten her own lip to fake the injury, but Heard denied this and told Laws: "I had two black eyes, a broken nose and a broken lip, bruised ribs, bruises all over my body."

Heard's sister testified that she saw Depp attack Heard

On July 23, Heard's sister, Whitney Henriquez, testified on behalf of Heard and told the High Court that she personally saw Depp hit Heard, according to the court transcripts.

In her witness statement, Henriquez also detailed an alleged incident from March 2015 that occured at the top of a flight of stairs in Depp and Heard's LA penthouse.

Henriquez said in her statement: "When he got to the top of the stairs, he was pulling me backwards so he could get to Amber. I remember being scared because I was worried that I would fall backwards and fall down the stairs. Johnny reached out to shove me out of the way to lunge at Amber — reaching out to try hit Amber — and instead struck me, hitting me in the arm. Amber suddenly lurched forward and hit him and said, 'don't hit my sister.' I didn't see exactly how Amber hit him but it didn't seem especially hard; it was just enough for him to lose momentum."

Henriquez said in her statement that Heard was trying to protect her, and that she believes Heard's intervention stopped her from "being pushed down the stairs."

"There was a struggle with me stuck in the middle of it, and he really went for Amber. Somehow I was pushed out of the way so I wasn't between them, but I was standing right there next to them when Johnny grabbed her by the hair with one hand and I saw him punch her really hard in the head with his other hand multiple times," she wrote.

A reality show video surfaced of Heard's sister Whitney discussing an 'altercation' between the two

On July 24, a brand new piece of evidence surfaced following Henriquez's testimony from the day before. Depp's lawyer, Sherborne, told the High Court that overnight they had been sent a video from a source who wished to be kept anonymous showing Henriquez's injuries following an alleged assault from Heard. The video was an unaired clip from a reality TV show where people asked Henriquez about Heard allegedly assaulting her.

According to the court transcripts, Sherborne told the High Court: "After she gave evidence yesterday, one of our team was contacted by an individual on the basis of being kept confidential, in which we were told that there was a video which was attached to the communication, a transcript of which I have handed up to your Lordship.

"We were contacted to explain that Ms. Amber Heard had a history of violence and attacking people and this video, which was attached, of her sister Whitney Heard, was taken shortly after Amber Heard had attacked her."

Henriquez, who was referred to as Heard, her maiden name, was instructed to wait outside the courtroom so she didn't hear the exchange.

According to court transcripts, Sherborne told the court that the video was "material which we say demonstrates that 14 Ms. Whitney Heard lied yesterday."

Elon Musk challenged Depp to a cage fight

In an interview with the New York Times published on July 25, Musk outright denied ever having an affair with Heard while she and Depp were still together, or of having a threesome with Heard and Cara Delevigne. Musk said: "I definitely was not having an affair with Amber while she was married to Johnny, this is totally false. We did not have the threesome, you know. So I think people think these things are generally more salacious than they are."

Musk also said: "If Johnny wants a cage fight, just let me know."

Depp and NGN are now awaiting a verdict

NGN's lawyer Wass made her closing statements on Monday, in which she said that "the evidence demonstrates that the claimant was violent towards Ms Heard on multiple occasions. The words complained of are therefore true."

Sherborne, Depp's lawyer, made his closing statements on Tuesday, stating: "The Court has heard three weeks of evidence, and despite a wholesale attack on many aspects of Mr Depp's lifestyle, the Defendants have not come close to proving the substantial truth of their serious allegation."

In UK libel cases, the burden of proof is on the defendent rather than the claimant, as NPR reports, the opposite of US libel cases. Therefore, Nicol will rule on whether Wass and NGN have successfully proved that the use of the phrase "wife beater" was valid.

With plenty of material for Nicol to evaluate over the next couple of weeks, it could be a long wait.

Read more:

A complete timeline of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's tumultuous relationship

Amber Heard's make-up artist told a London court the actress was 'caked in make-up' to conceal bruises before a 2015 appearance on James Corden

Elon Musk offered to 'arrange 24/7 security' for Amber Heard in 2016, texts read in court show