Three Things for April 21
1. Johnny Depp takes the stand in civil lawsuit against Amber Heard
On Wednesday, April 20, actor Johnny Depp told jurors in a Virginia courtroom he was demeaned and berated during his relationship with ex-wife Amber Heard.
According to AP News, Depp is suing Heard in a $50 million defamation lawsuit after Heard made public claims of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of Depp.
On Tuesday, Depp responded to certain claims of abuse made by Heard.
Heard said after she poked fun at a tattoo on Depp’s body, he slapped her in the face.
“It didn't happen,” Depp said at the witness stand regarding the alleged assault. “Why would I take such great offense to someone making fun of a tattoo on my body? That allegation never made any sense to me.”
After responding to alleged claims, Depp detailed instances of abuse at the hands of Heard. Depp told the court in 2015, after asking for a postnuptial agreement, Heard began to berate him before throwing two bottles of vodka at him, severing the tip of his finger.
Depp said he used drugs and alcohol to cope with the verbal and physical abuse Heard put him through in their brief relationship. His attorneys released audio recordings in court this week, arguing Heard can be heard berating Depp.
The defamation trial continues today, April 21, in Virginia.
2. Governor Lee denies Tennessee man clemency
After his plea for clemency was denied by Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday, Oscar Franklin Smith will be the first Tennessee inmate executed since they were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Smith was arrested in 1989 and charged with three counts of first-degree murder of his wife and two step-sons. He was convicted by a Davidson County jury in 1990.
Since his conviction, Smith has claimed innocence for 33 years while imprisoned in the state’s federal prison. He was scheduled to be executed in 2020, and then 2021, but the postponements led to his attorneys’ pleas to Lee this month.
"After thorough consideration of Oscar Smith's request for clemency and an extensive review of the case, the State of Tennessee's sentence will stand, and I will not be intervening," Lee wrote in a statement released to CBS News on Tuesday.
Smith ordered his final meal Wednesday afternoon – a double bacon cheeseburger, deep-dish apple pie and vanilla bean ice cream, according to the Tennessean.
3. A$AP Rocky detained by police regarding shooting incident
Rakim Athelaston Mayers, known by his stage name of A$AP Rocky, was detained at the Los Angeles Airport by the LAPD Wednesday.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Mayers was taken in for questioning by authorities in connection to a shooting in November 2021.
According to NBCLA, on Nov. 6 in Los Angeles, witnesses reported seeing Mayers and two friends approach a man in the city. The witnesses said Mayers “shoot at him three or four times.”
The unnamed victim told authorities he believed a bullet “grazed his left hand” in the altercation, according to Complex. Mayers and his counterparts fled the area on foot in November of 2021, and the case has been rejuvenated with recent tips.
"The argument escalated and resulted in the suspect firing a handgun at the victim. The victim sustained a minor injury from the incident and later sought his medical treatment. Following the shooting, the suspect and two additional males fled the area on foot," police said, according to CNN.
Mayers’ attorney has said his client has not been arrested for the incident, but the Los Angeles Police Department says he is a person of interest in the case.
