Amber Heard calling Johnny Depp back to the stand could be a “risk” — partly because of how likable he was when he testified in the former couple’s bombshell defamation trial, legal experts told The Post.
Sources close to Heard told The Post last week that the “Aquaman” actress’s legal team may plan to have Depp testify again as they argue her side in the ongoing courtroom battle in Fairfax, Virginia.
But the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, who has already testified for four days, came across as believable and likable to the jury, experts said — noting that giving him a second round on the stand might hurt Heard’s case.
“There is a risk that he is going to have more time being likable on the stand,” said civil attorney Katherine Lizardo, “when it’s actually Amber Heard’s time to present her case.”
Seattle defamation lawyer Bruce Johnson agreed Depp’s apparent likability could be a problem for Heard.
“That is a huge risk – if he’s a good witness and he’s going to perform well again,” Johnson told The Post.
Halim Dhanidina – a former California judge and current criminal defense attorney – said Depp’s “very unique personality” likely made him appealing to the jury the first time around.
“He didn’t really strike me as someone who was putting on an act or fabricating,” Dhanidina said. “The jury is going to want to know whether they can rely on testimony not based on how smart the witness appears, but how sincere they are.”
Depp, 58, is suing his 36-year-old ex-wife, accusing her of defaming him when she called herself “a public figure representing domestic abuse” in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed.
Heard has filed a $100 million countersuit claiming it was Depp who defamed her by accusing her of lying about the alleged abuse.
Her side is now presenting its case, wrapping up with Heard’s fourth day on the stand on Tuesday, and continuing to call witnesses until closing arguments, expected May 27.
“Right now we are hearing Amber Heard’s … side of the story,” said Lizardo, an attorney who represents plaintiffs in civil suits.
Follow The Post’s live coverage of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial
“To call her opponent to speak on your behalf sounds counterintuitive.”
Dhanidina noted that Depp could try to gain the “advantage” if he gets a chance to address the jury again.
“If he has been landing with the jury and if the jury is liking him then more time in front of the jury is a good thing for him,” the former judge said. “It may be something that [Heard] does out of necessity but that [Depp] himself can benefit from.”
Jurors, however, wouldn’t be given an explanation as to why Depp is back on the stand, which could “confuse” them, Lizardo noted.
“Most of the time when you are doing cross examination it sounds hostile,” she explained. “A jury might think ‘Okay, he’s back on the stand. Are they badgering him again?’”
Johnson, the defamation lawyer, also said that Heard’s team needs to weigh whether calling Depp again will stretch the jury’s attention — as some jurors have reportedly been spotted dozing off while the trial stretches into its fifth week.
“You are putting on a performance for a jury and you don’t want to drag it on for too long,” Johnson said. “In any long trial that is a…
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