Court Stenographer Claims A “Few” Jurors "Dozed Off" During Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard Trial

During her testimony, the actress alleged that his substance abuse led to him losing "control" of his bodily functions. She said: "He’d pass out in his own vomit. He’d lose control of his body, he’d lose control and everyone would clean up after him. "This man lost control of his bowels and I cleaned up after him. His security cleaned up after him, changed his pants in front of me."

A few jurors "dozed off" during Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard.

The court stenographer Judy Bellinger — who recorded the six-week trial — has claimed a number of people on the panel struggled to stay awake during the proceedings, with the video depositions sending some of them to sleep.

Speaking to YouTube channel Law and Crime Network, she said: "There were a few jurors who were dozing off."

Bellinger alleged that the sleeping jurors were sitting in both the front and back rows, and described the trial as "tough".

She added: "There were a lot of video depositions and they would just sit there, and all of a sudden I'd see their head drop."

Meanwhile, she noted the most attentive juror was actually an alternate — who can step in if a juror can't continue due to illness or other emergencies — but she didn't weigh in on the final verdict.

She revealed: "Unfortunately, the one alternate that was on there, she was probably the one that listened the most. She was very deeply into every word that was being said.

"I thought she would've made a great juror, and she did not get to see it to the end. She was paying close attention."

Heard was found by the jury in Fairfax, Virginia, to have defamed her ex-husband with an article in which she claimed she was a victim of domestic abuse.

Depp received US$15 million (S$21 mil) in damages, while Heard received US$2 million in compensatory damages after she countersued for US$100 million.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor — who has Lily-Rose, 22, and Jack, 20 with former partner Vanessa Paradis — admitted that his life had been "forever changed" by the case.

He said: "Six years ago, my life, the life of my children, the lives of those closest to me, and also, the lives of the people who for many, many years have supported and believed in me, were forever changed. All in the blink of an eye.

"False, very serious and criminal allegations were levied at me via the media, which triggered an endless barrage of hateful content, although no charges were ever brought against me."

Meanwhile, Heard admitted she was "heartbroken" as she described the verdict as a "setback" to women's rights.

She said: "It is a setback. It sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated."

Alafair Hall, a spokesperson for Heard, has since confirmed to the New York Times newspaper that Heard intends to appeal the verdict. — BANG SHOWBIZ