The Ex-Husband From Hell...

Johnny Depp forces ex-wife to endure a second trial after loss in England.

And the award goes to Johnny Depp for “Ex-Husband from Hell.”

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard got divorced in 2017 after a tumultuous 15-month marriage. They have now been engaged in post-divorce litigation for almost four years.

Evidence in UK trial of Amber Heard’s injuries

It supposedly began when Heard, 35, apparently inspired by the #MeToo movement, wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 stating she was a victim of domestic abuse.

The opinion piece didn’t mention Depp, 58, but he is suing her for defamation in Fairfax, VA, on the grounds she “implied” he was a domestic abuser. He is seeking $50 million in damages. She has countersued for $100 million.

Millions of spectators currently are viewing Depp testifying on the witness stand about the intimate details of their marriage in a jury trial.

Alleged?

But that’s not what makes Depp the ex-husband from hell. This does - Depp already sued a British tabloid, The Sun, which had referred to Depp as a “wife beater.” Depp lost the case after a three-week trial when the judge issued a 129-page opinion in which he found the U.K. publication’s claim to be “substantially true.”

So it is okay in England to omit the term “alleged” from Heard’s claim that Depp was a wife-beater.

Dragging Heard through a second trial - when the legal hurdles are even higher due to his UK loss - makes Depp the ex-husband from hell. And even if he wins, it is unlikely that he will ever be able to resuscitate his stalled career.

Primary Aggressor?

It is not uncommon for both parties in a marriage to claim they are victims of domestic violence.

The National Council Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) says research shows women who are victims of abuse typically use force or violence to resist, react or defend against abuse from a partner in the relationship. The NCADV says women who perpetrate abuse may be motivated by a need for self-protection or justice for previous assaults by their partner.

“Thus, the question is not whether women have the potential to be abusive but whether their violence toward heterosexual partners is comparable to men’s in terms of context, motivation, results, and consequences,” says the NCADV.

The NCADV says one in seven women and one in 25 men have been injured by an intimate partner.

Law enforcement authorities who are confronted with evidence that both parties were physically violent often attempt to identify the “primary aggressor” in the relationship. They evaluate evidence of physical injuries, the extent of injuries, aggravating factors like drug abuse and alcoholism, the credibility of witness statements, etc.