Johnny Depp, Amber Heard Not Expected To Be In Court For Trial Verdict; Twitter Reacts To Rumor

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard await the jury's verdict in their defamation trial, but neither party is expected to be in the courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, when the ruling is handed down this week, reports have claimed.

After Depp's and Heard's lawyers delivered closing arguments Friday, the seven-person civil jury deliberated for more than two hours. They will resume discussions Tuesday to reach a verdict on whether Heard's domestic violence claims, which stem from her 2018 Washington Post op-ed, were defamatory toward her ex-husband.

Larry Forman, a Kentucky-based lawyer who was present in the courtroom over the course of Depp and Heard's trial, claimed, citing unnamed sources, that both stars are not expected to be present in the courtroom when the trial verdict is read.

"Confirmed: Neither Johnny Depp nor Amber Heard will be in Fairfax, Virginia, when the verdict is handed down," the founder and CEO of law firm Forman & Associates tweeted Saturday.

In a follow-up tweet Monday, he said that he could not confirm whether the "Aquaman" star will return to the courtroom for the verdict, clarifying that he does not have a "trusted" source.

International Business Times could not independently verify the information.

Twitter users reacted to the rumors, with some speculating that regardless of the verdict, Heard may choose to return to the court to give a statement — just like what she did in the U.K. in July 2020 after Depp lost his libel case against British tabloid The Sun over an article that called him a "wife beater."

"Maybe she is going to make an appearance afterward and say something like she did in the U.K. regardless of the verdict? To have the last word in a sense?" one Twitter user suggested.

Some felt that Depp and Heard would disappoint the jury and the fans who had been following the trial for six weeks if they were absent.

"I think it looks bad if [Johnny Depp] isn't there, especially if she is there. It makes it look as if he doesn't care [about] the outcome. I get that he wanted to expose the truth, but it feels disrespectful to the jurors who spent six weeks listening to that truth," one person commented.

"I can understand why [Depp] has walked away from it and is moving forward, but ... it is disrespectful to the jury. This would be extra sad if they actually rule in his favor and see that he did not care to show up," another claimed.

A number of Twitter users pointed out that Depp appears to have already moved on from the trial and seems to be planning to stay away from Virginia for the verdict. The actor is currently in England, making a surprise appearance on stage Sunday night to perform alongside Jeff Beck at a gig in Sheffield.

Depp, who began his career as a musician before becoming an actor, joined Beck on stage for the second night in a row when the rocker performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London Monday.

One Twitter user pointed out that "the tour dates with Jeff Beck were decided a long time ago" and Depp's team was "saying weeks ago that he wouldn't be there" when the jury delivers their verdict.

"[Depp is] living his best life. I'd prefer JD not be there. He's been heard, and now he can move on," one Depp supporter commented.

Another person tweeted that "good lawyers advise their clients not to be at the jury verdict readings," except in criminal trials.

Heard is countersuing Depp for $100 million, accusing him of orchestrating a "smear campaign" against her and describing his lawsuit as a continuation of "abuse and harassment."