Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard to Hrithik Roshan vs Kangana Ranaut: Biggest celebrity court cases over the years

The Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard case is all that everyone has been talking about these days with the exes alleging physical assault at each other's hands. While the case has given way to several memes, viral social media trends and has seemingly turned into a real-life soap opera for fans, this is not the first and will certainly not be the last celebrity battle that played out in the public eye. Whether it is Johnny taking on Amber in the US, or Bollywood stars Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut seeking the legal route in Mumbai, here are some of the biggest celebrity court cases over the years.

Closing arguments will be held today in court, thus bringing to an end the bitter multi-million dollar defamation case between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Lawyers will make their final appeals to the jury following dozens of hours of testimony and six weeks of blistering mutual accusations of domestic violence between the celebrity couple. Judge Penney Azcarate is expected to hand the case over to the seven-person jury on Friday and the panel will be off over the weekend and resume deliberations on Tuesday.

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 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. She countersued for $100 million, claiming that she suffered "rampant physical violence and abuse" at his hands.

Dozens of witnesses testified during the high-profile trial which began on April 11, 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 Of The Caribbean' star to the town of Fairfax near the US capital.

The legal battles between pop icon Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears went on for over a decade before it became a worldwide #FreeBritney movement. In the highly controversial conservatorship battle, Britney took on her father in court asking for the end of her conservatorship that gave Jamie full control of her life and money for over 13 years. After a highly publicised court battle, numerous documentaries, a worldwide media frenzy on the subject, Britney was finally granted freedom and her conservatorship ended in November 2021.

The Sushant Singh Rajput death case that is still under investigation, took many surprising twists and turns over the months following his untimely demise in 2020. However, one of the most shocking twists came when girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, before her arrest, filed a case against Priyanka Singh - the sister of the late actor - for allegedly getting him medication on a false prescription. While the sisters of the actor tried to get the plea squashed in court, the Bombay High Court ruled that the case of alleged forgery and violation of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act be held in court.

WhatsApp texts between SSR and Priyanka that were leaked revealed that his family was aware of his mental health problems and the chats dated June 8 (six days before the actor was found dead) indicated that Priyanka asked him to take three medicines prescribed for depression and anxiety. However, by law, these drugs couldn't be prescribed without a medical check-up.

No one would have ever thought that a "silly ex" comment would lead to a full-fledged court battle between actors Hrithik Roshan and Kangana Ranaut. When not battling it out the legal way, the two took to prime time television to state their claims. While one brought "proof" of the alleged affair, the other rubbished it as tampered and doctored images. Kangana stuck to her claims of her alleged fling with the actor, while Hrithik alleged that the actress' exchanges via email were not with him, but rather with an imposter. The police took up the case trying to track the forensic data and set aside the facts from fiction.

Possibly one of the biggest celebrity cases in recent history was that of Ashley Judd and Rose Mc Gowan against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. A New York Times exposé in 2017 detailed allegations of sexual harassment and assault by the producer. This included claims by actresses Judd and McGowan. Both women claimed they were targeted by Weinstein in 1997. Following the allegations and many more women stepping forward with their accounts of sexual assault at the hands of the producer, he was fired from his company and brought to trial. In March 2020, Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault, receiving 23 years in prison. Later the same year, an appeals court ruled that Judd can pursue a sexual harassment suit against Weinstein, finding that he held power over her career and effectively blacklisted her in the film industry.

The courtroom saga between Kesha and Dr Luke has been a long one. But, it was her 2014 case against the music producer that rocked the headlines well up to 2016. Kesha claimed that the music producer raped her and also used his position in the record label to "intimidate and torment" her. Since then, she filed numerous suits to get out of her contract with Dr Luke and Sony music. However, in 2016, she dropped the case, saying that she would no longer rely on the abuse claims to get herself out of her contract and that she would focus on getting her career back on track. While some lawsuits are still ongoing, she has gone on to release new music.