The direction of the march was already apparent in the selection of the jury.

Johnny Depp's attorney Camille Vasquez asked potential judges Monday about their support for the #MeToo movement, while Amber Heard's attorney Elaine Bredehoft wanted to know their views on domestic violence and bisexuality.

Her client, the lawyer informed potential jurors, has loved both women and men in the past.

Before the court in Fairfax in the state of Virginia, about 30 kilometers west of Washington, Heard's relationship with her most prominent partner to date will be negotiated over the next six weeks.

The actress married Depp in Los Angeles in early 2015.

The rather simple ceremony was then followed by a boisterous celebration on Little Hall's Pond Cay, the groom's private Caribbean island.

Just 15 months later, the 35-year-old Texan filed for divorce.

In addition to the "dissolution of marriage," Heard also requested a restraining order.

Photos later showed her pale, sad and with bruises on her face a few days later.

"Johnny will not comment on the false, suggestive stories, rumors and lies about his private life," the 58-year-old's lawyers tried to ward off the allegations of violence at the time.

"Hopefully the dissolution of this short marriage will happen quickly."

The Johnny Amber Saga

The marriage ended in divorce in January 2017, but the War of the Roses is now echoing in Virginia.

In an opinion piece for the Washington Post three years ago, Heard described himself as a "public figure with experience of domestic violence" - fueling the allegations against Depp.

The Golden Globe winner filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his former wife, and the actress retaliated with a $100 million lawsuit.

The Washington Post is responsible for the fact that the continuation of the Johnny Amber saga is now being negotiated in Virginia, more than 4000 kilometers from Hollywood.

The newspaper's print shop and server are located in the state in the eastern United States.

In addition, Virginia is less strict than California when it comes to so-called anti-SLAPP laws, rules that protect against lawsuits that publicly embarrass individuals or companies.

Depp, for whom almost everything is at stake, therefore filed a lawsuit on the east coast.

After Heard's allegations, Disney had already terminated the contract with the 58-year-old for the pirate epic "Pirates of the Caribbean".

When Britain's Royal Court of Justice ruled against Depp in his defamation case against newspaper publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) for calling the actor a "wife beater," Warner Bros. Pictures also dropped the actor from the Joanne K. film adaptation in late 2020. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them".

Presiding Judge Penney Azcarate denied Heard's motion to have Depp's defamation lawsuit against her dismissed in Virginia following the London verdict.

Prominent witnesses

As it became known after the jury was filled on Monday, the former spouses want to testify in court in the coming weeks.

Both had already arrived in Fairfax for the first day of the trial.

Tesla founder Elon Musk and Zeroville actor James Franco are also on the witness list.

According to Depp, Heard is said to have maintained an intimate relationship with both during the brief marriage.

Paul Bettany ("Avengers: Age of Ultron") is also expected in court in Fairfax.

As before the Royal Court of Justice, he is to testify about violent fantasies that Depp shared with him via text messages.

E-mails from Jason Momoa ("Aquaman"), director James Wan and Ellen Barkin ("Twelve"), who had Heard's attorney added to the evidence list, round out the picture of a Hollywood star ravaged by drugs and alcohol.

Depp, meanwhile, insists he was used by his ex-wife to promote his own career.

It was not he who struck again and again, but Heard.

At least with Jacintya Gillespie, who gathered with about 30 other supporters outside the Fairfax County Courthouse on Monday, the actor has already won.

"Johnny Depp is a pure soul," the fifty-two-year-old told Deadline.

"His reputation shouldn't be ruined by the lies Amber Heard tells."