After six weeks of searing allegations and counter-allegations of domestic violence, Amber Heard's attorneys rested their defense Wednesday in the defamation action filed by her ex-husband Johnny Depp.

The court hearing the case in Virginia, close to the nation's capital, denied Depp's attorneys' request to dismiss Heard's countersuit against the Pirates of the Caribbean star.

Judge Penney Azcarate ruled that sufficient evidence has been given for the seven-member jury to evaluate the merits of Depp's defamation complaint against Heard and Heard's countersuit against him.

The 58-year-old Depp filed a lawsuit against Heard in response to an opinion piece she published in The Washington Post in December 2018. She referred to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."

Heard, 36, who starred in Aquaman, did not name Depp in her op-ed, but he sued her for insinuating that he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages.

Heard, born in Texas, countersued and demanded $100 million, saying she was the victim of "extensive physical violence and abuse" at his hands.

During his four days on the witness stand, Depp denied ever hitting Heard or any other woman and claimed that she was the violent one.

Heard testified that an intoxicated Johnny Depp assaulted her on multiple occasions.

'Chemistry'

After the judge dismissed Depp's attorneys' dismissal petition, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor's attorneys called their first rebuttal witness.

The president of DC Comics-based film production at Warner Brothers, Walter Hamada, testified regarding Amber Heard's contract with the studio for the Aquaman series.

Heard's legal team asserts that allegedly defamatory remarks made about her by Depp's former attorney, Adam Waldman, impacted her Aquaman 2 position and salary.

The defamation counterclaim brought by Heard, who earned $1 million for Aquaman and $2 million for Aquaman 2, is based on Waldman's remarks.

Hamada stated that Heard's Aquaman 2 was unaffected by Waldman's statements.

He stated that Warner Brothers did not often renegotiate contracts but confirmed that the company did so for Jason Momoa, the other Aquaman star.

Hamada stated that there have been "discussions" about recasting Heard's part in Aquaman 2 due to a lack of "chemistry" between her and co-star Momoa.

"In reality, it is not uncommon for two leads in a film to lack chemistry," he remarked. "It's obvious when you see it."

"Unfavorable publicity"

On Monday, Kathryn Arnold, a Hollywood analyst consulted by Heard's team, stated that Heard's career was poised for a "meteoric rise" after Aquaman but has been hampered by "negative publicity" surrounding her allegations against Depp.

Arnold estimates that Heard has lost between $45 million and $50 million in film and television jobs and endorsements.

Depp's attorneys called witnesses who said that he had lost millions of dollars due to the abuse allegations, including $22.5 million for the sixth installment of Pirates.

Yesterday, Depp's attorneys called a psychiatrist, Richard Shaw, to refute the testimony of a doctor, David Spiegel, who testified on behalf of Heard on Monday.

Spiegel informed the jury that Depp exhibited "narcissistic traits" and mental and substance abuse disorders.

Shaw stated that Spiegel was not qualified to make such recommendations because he had never personally evaluated Depp and was in violation of the so-called Goldwater Rule of the American Psychiatric Association.

According to the Goldwater Rule, it is unethical for a psychiatrist to render a professional opinion before conducting an evaluation.

Depp launched the defamation lawsuit in the United States after losing a libel case against The Sun in London in November 2020 for branding him a "wife-beater."

In February 2015, Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard separated after two years of marriage.

The former girlfriend of Johnny Depp, 48-year-old British model Kate Moss, is due to testify via a video connection on Wednesday.

The judge, Azcarate, has set Friday for closing arguments.