Heard’s lawyers try to poke holes in Depp’s libel lawsuit

(AP) - Attorneys for actor Amber Heard spent much of last week trying to portray her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, as a jealous and drunken abuser who can only blame himself for his nose-diving Hollywood career.

Since Heard concluded her testimony in a Virginia courtroom Tuesday, her lawyers have presented witness testimony from people who were once close to Depp but shunted from his orbit.

They’ve included Depp’s former longtime agent, the actor Ellen Barkin and Heard’s sister.

The attorneys’ goal: Undermine Depp’s libel suit against Heard.

The suit claims she falsely portrayed him as a domestic abuser and cost him his lucrative film career, including the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie franchise.

Depp points to a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which Heard described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.”

Depp’s lawyers say he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.

The trial will enter its sixth week when it resumes Monday.

Depp blames Heard’s 2018 op-ed for spinning his career into free fall.

But Heard’s lawyers claim that only Depp can be responsible for his star dimming in the Hollywood firmament.