FAIRFAX, United States: A lawyer for actor Johnny Depp urged a jury on Friday to find his ex-wife Amber Heard guilty of defamation over domestic abuse allegations and give him his “life back.”
“What is at stake in this trial is a man’s good name,” Camille Vasquez, an attorney for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star, said in closing arguments in Fairfax County Circuit Court near the US capital.
“We ask you to give Mr.Depp his life back, to tell the world that Mr.Depp is not the abuser Miss Heard said he is and to hold Miss Heard accountable for her lies,” Vasquez said.
“The evidence shown in this trial has shown that Miss Heard is the abuser,” she added. “She was violent, she was abusive and she was cruel.”
Lawyers for the two sides are making their closing arguments following six weeks of blistering mutual accusations of domestic violence between the couple.
Judge Penney Azcarate will give the case over to the seven-person jury Friday afternoon. The panel will be off over the weekend and on Monday, a public holiday, and resume deliberations on Tuesday.
The 58-year-old Depp filed a defamation suit against Heard in Virginia over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
The Texas-born Heard, who had a starring role in “Aquaman,” did not name Depp in the piece, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages.
The 36-year-old Heard countersued for $100 million, claiming that she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.
Dozens of witnesses testified during the trial, including bodyguards, Hollywood executives, agents, entertainment industry experts, psychiatrists, doctors, friends and relatives.
Depp and Heard each spent days on the witness stand during the televised trial which attracted hundreds of fans of the “Pirates” star daily.
Video and audio recordings of heated, profanity-laced arguments between the couple were played for the jury, which was also shown photographs of injuries allegedly suffered by Heard during their volatile relationship.
Hours of testimony featuring medical experts was devoted to a finger injury that Depp suffered while filming an installment of “Pirates” in Australia in March 2015.
Depp claimed the tip of the middle finger on his right hand was severed when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him. Heard said she did not know how the injury occurred.
Both agreed that Depp went on to scrawl messages on walls, lampshades and mirrors using the bloody digit.
Heard said Depp would become a physically and sexually abusive “monster” during alcohol- and drug-fueled binges and resisted her repeated efforts to curb his drinking and drug use.
Heard said Depp had promised to bring her “global humiliation” if she left him, and she has been the target of a vast #JusticeForJohnnyDepp social media campaign.
Depp testified that it has been “brutal” to listen to his ex-wife’s “outlandish” accusations of domestic abuse.
“No human being is perfect, certainly not, none of us, but I have never in my life committed sexual battery, physical abuse,” he said.
Heard, who was married to Depp from 2015 to 2017, obtained a restraining order against him in May 2016, citing domestic violence.
Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, filed a libel suit in London against the British tabloid The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater.” He lost that case in November 2020.
Both sides have claimed damage to their Hollywood careers.
Heard’s legal team presented an entertainment industry expert who estimated that the actress has suffered $45-50 million in lost film and TV roles and endorsements.
An industry expert hired by Depp’s side said the actor has lost millions because of the abuse accusations, including a potential $22.5 million payday for a sixth installment of “Pirates.”
Johnny Depp lawyer urges jury to give him his ‘life back’
https://arab.news/2m72w
Johnny Depp lawyer urges jury to give him his ‘life back’
- "What is at stake in this trial is a man's good name," Camille Vasquez, an attorney for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star said
- Lawyers for the two sides are making their closing arguments following six weeks of blistering mutual accusations of domestic violence
Green Day announce Dubai gig
DUBAI: US punk band Green Day are headed to Dubai in January next year.
The Grammy Award winners will make their Middle East debut at Expo City Dubai on Jan. 27 in an open-air venue that can host up to 30,000 people.
Renowned as one of the most iconic punk rock bands in recent decades, Green Day will play a selection of their biggest hits. These are expected to include “American Idiot,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” and “Wake Me Up When September Ends” from their eight-time platinum album “American Idiot”, as well as tracks from the 10-time platinum diamond “Dookie” and their most recent studio album, “Saviors.”
The Offspring will be the support act on the night. The US rock band has enjoyed huge success since forming in 1984, releasing 10 studio albums and selling over 40 million records worldwide.
Their biggest hits include “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy),” “Why Don’t You Get a Job?” and “Original Prankster.”
Naomi Campbell sparkles in Nicolas Jebran gown
DUBAI: British supermodel Naomi Campbell wowed fellow guests at the wedding of PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani and model Nada Adelle, which took place at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France.
Campbell wore a custom couture gown by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran, who took to social media to share the supermodel’s ethereal look.
“It is not a catwalk: this is a Naomi-walk with grace & gardens of bliss! The gorgeous beauty queen takes it to the next level! @Naomi, a complete stunner, in a #NicolasJebran custom couture gown as she attended the #kamaniwedding wedding yesterday!” wrote the designer to the stars.
Campbell herself posted three white heart emojis and: “My chosen family! Would not want to be anywhere else than with you on this day, TO WITNESS THIS BEAUTIFUL UNION OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE MR & MRS KAMANI @nadakamani @umarkamani WE LOVE YOU.”
The wedding was also attended by Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Turki, the CEO of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation. Other celebrity guests included former England international footballer Rio Ferdinand, fashion designer Manish Malhotra, singer Christina Milian, and Ronan and Stormy Keating.
Serenading the couple during the wedding ceremony was renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who performed his rendition of “The Prayer,” accompanied by a full orchestra, as Adelle walked down the aisle.
Supermodel Campbell enjoys a huge fan base in the Arab world. She has also been romantically involved with individuals from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt.
Late last year, she was among was among the celebrities spotted on the red carpet at the Middle East and North Africa premiere of “The Absence of Eden,” on the third day of Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival.
“I love what Red Sea has become and that it’s growing and growing and growing. And it’s really amazing and phenomenal what the team and Mo (Al-Turki) and Jomana (Al-Rashid) have created,” said Campbell in a video posted on festival’s Instagram page.
Her charitable organization, Fashion for Relief, also joined forces with Qatar Creates to launch a new global initiative called Emerge. The catwalk star co-hosted a charity gala and fashion show to support creatives and business talents around the world, with a focus on Africa, the diaspora and developing communities.
Meet the Russian stylist living ‘blissfully’ in Saudi Arabia
- “True to our expectations, we’ve found immense satisfaction living in Saudi Arabia. We consider it the best decision we’ve made for our family, and have no regrets.” Marsden, a professional stylist, told Arab News
RIYADH: Margo Marsden relocated to Saudi Arabia two years ago when her husband — a British oil and gas engineer — accepted a job in the Kingdom. Since her arrival, she has been documenting her experience of life in Saudi Arabia on social media. Her TikTok profile states she is a “Russian mother married to British father … living blissfully in Saudi Arabia.”
“True to our expectations, we’ve found immense satisfaction living in Saudi Arabia. We consider it the best decision we’ve made for our family, and have no regrets.” Marsden, a professional stylist, told Arab News. “Living here is incredibly invigorating; one can palpably sense the positive transformations taking place in the country, aligned with the ambitious Vision 2030 plan. In my view, Saudi Arabia stands as the premier destination for living in 2024.”
Marsden was born and raised in Kazakhstan before moving to Russia with her parents when she was 14 years old. She lived in several countries before relocating to Saudi Arabia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Italy, Turkiye, Lebanon, Thailand, the UK, and Norway.
Living here is incredibly invigorating; one can palpably sense the positive transformations taking place in the country, aligned with the ambitious Vision 2030 plan.
Margo Marsden, Russian stylist in KSA
Marsden had worked in Riyadh for a month in 2019 with fashion retailer Zara during Ramadan, and when her husband told her about his job offer, she was thrilled at the prospect of visiting the Kingdom again.
“I love it here, and I look forward to sharing my knowledge with local and expat women, to elevate their confidence and refine their fashion identity,” she said.
Marsden now has more than two decades of experience in the fashion industry. It’s a passion that began in her childhood, when she would meticulously craft outfits for her Barbie dolls with her mother’s guidance.
Marsden said she worked as a model — treading catwalks in Russia, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, and Thailand — before moving into the business side of the industry, studying fashion design at Accademia Italiana in Bangkok and personal styling at the London College of Style. She has worked as a buyer, content creator and stylist.
“My artistic pursuits also extend behind the camera; I coordinated photoshoots for both personal and corporate clients,” she added.
As a stylist, she said, her main objective is “to enhance my client’s natural beauty and instill confidence in each customer I work with.” While Marsden doesn’t currently have any clients in the Kingdom, she is hoping to establish her own business eventually.
“I’m eager to offer my expertise to individuals keen on enhancing their appearance. Helping others look and feel their best is immensely fulfilling to me,” she added.
To follow Marsden’s journey in Saudi Arabia, visit her Instagram @margo.marsden.
Simi and Haze Khadra discuss the functional vision of their beauty brand and its Middle East launch
DUBAI: US-Palestinian beauty entrepreneurs Simi and Haze Khadra this week went on tour in the Middle East to launch their brand, SimiHaze Beauty, in the region. Their travels included stops in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
While in the region, the sister duo — raised by Palestinian parents between Riyadh, London and Dubai — shared insights about their brand with Arab News.
The 31-year-old identical twins, who are also DJs, said that they initially launched the brand out of “pure functionality,” creating products they wanted and needed in their own makeup routines.
Every product they develop undergoes the same rigorous process of ensuring functionality, they said.
“We are constantly thinking of new ideas and ways to make makeup easy and fun to apply,” Simi told Arab News.
The pair launched their US-born cosmetics brand in 2021 with a range of stick-on makeup designs that can be placed on the face for a bold beauty look achievable within seconds.
The sticker book features an array of edgy designs inspired by their favorite DJ looks from the past, such as chrome wings, neon negative space eyeliner and holographic cat-eyes.
SimiHaze Beauty then expanded to include a range of products, such as lipsticks, bronzing powders, and a lifting mascara.
Simi and Haze believe they were “actually late bloomers to the beauty world.”
“We only started becoming interested in it when we were around 18,” Haze said. “We started SHB from just a single product we wanted but couldn’t find in the market, which is our Velvet Blur lipstick.
“We loved a matte lip for every day at the time but couldn’t find one that wasn’t drying, so we created it.”
The twins developed an interest in eye makeup when they began DJ-ing.
“We weren’t the best at applying eyeliner, so again we just created our perfect solution which became the eye stickers,” Haze said.
To the sisters, launching the brand in the Middle East “felt so surreal.”
“The market has been such a huge goal of ours since we started because we grew up here,” Simi said. “We’re so happy that our products are finally accessible to our amazing followers here, because they have been such huge supporters since the beginning.
“Now people are finally able to really see and touch and feel the products, which is so important to us because you will never get the experience and vision of SHB unless you actually hold the product and feel the texture, curves, and ergonomics of it. The online experience doesn’t do it any justice.”
The sisters said that they personally oversee the development of every product. They visit their lab in Italy for a few days at least twice a year to test and create new formulas.
“It takes a while and a lot of back and forth because after we create something it gets tested on our whole family from my grandma to my mom to my little sister and also all my friends with different skin tones,” Simi said.
“My friends are used to me calling them and saying: ‘Hi can I come over and try on some blush colors on you?’ So by the end of it we know what formulas and shades work best on the widest range of people.”
While visiting the Middle East, the sisters observed a prevailing trend in the region: skincare.
“I’ve seen so much good skin here and I can tell people really care about skincare here,” Haze said.
“We’ve also been increasingly obsessed with it. Our products are all infused with skin-loving ingredients, because we’re personally super-paranoid about anything that’s clogging or could cause irritation.”
Loli Bahia, Arab models walk Chanel cruise show in France
DUBAI: French Algerian model Loli Bahia, British Moroccan Nora Attal, and part-Saudi Amira Al-Zuhair took to the runway at the Chanel Cruise 2024/2025 show in Marseille, France.
Bahia donned a green ensemble, composed of a knee-length pencil skirt paired with a matching top, layered over a white shirt boasting a hoodie collar.
Attal graced the runway in a white summery dress adorned with delicate sheer geometric prints, complemented by white slippers.
Her look also featured beach-inspired layered necklaces, a thin chain belt and chunky bracelets adorned with hat, ship anchors and Chanel logo pendants.
Meanwhile, Al-Zuhair sported a vibrant yellow ensemble featuring hot shorts paired with a button-down top and a coordinating cardigan.
She also wore a beige hat, a gold choker embellished with blue detailing, chunky earrings and a chain belt adorned with pendants.
From intricate embroideries to dazzling sequined jackets and swimwear, Creative Director Virginie Viard’s latest collection showcased ensembles inspired by an underwater reverie.
The outfits included knee-length Bermuda shorts, high-waisted shorts, loose trapeze dresses, and large outerwear. Viard also demonstrated the power of layering, using shirt collars, French cuffs and jackets in unexpected ways throughout the collection.
Earlier this week, Chanel shared a series of images, captured by British photographer Jamie Hawkesworth, on Instagram featuring Bahia. The pictures, drawing inspiration from the seaside and scuba diving, provided an initial preview of Viard’s collection.
Bahia showcased multiple ensembles from the collection in the photographs. In the first shot, she dazzled in a glitzy black sequined mini pencil skirt and blazer. Another image captured her wearing the green ensemble seen on the runway, with the hoodie of the white shirt covering her head.
Additionally, she was photographed donning a white one-piece swimsuit adorned with a black bow around the chest.
The photo series also featured Bahia in a variety of other outfits, including a vibrant white dress with colorful square-like designs, tailored shorts paired with a blazer, as well as a striped set featuring a full-length skirt and matching top.
