Amber Heard Fires PR Team Ahead of Testifying in Johnny Depp Defamation Trial

Amber Heard has fired her crisis PR firm, Precision Strategies, days ahead of her testimony in the ongoing court battle with her ex-husband Johnny Depp. According to New York Post, Heard fired Precision Strategies on Thursday, reportedly due to the negative press stemming from the defamation trial. Heard's new team being led by PR veteran David Shane and his firm Shane Communications, according to The Wrap. Shane Communications is the same firm that previously represented The Management Group when Depp sued them in 2017 in a $25 million fraud lawsuit. That legal battle was settled in 2018.

According to the report, Heard's decision to switch her PR team comes due to frustration over what sources say are "her story not being told effectively". Depp has testified over the past two weeks as part of the defamation trial in Virginia, Aspects of his testimony as well as that of various psychologists and others have made headlines, particularly over explicit and salacious details of their former relationship. Heard is expected to take the stand int he case as early as Tuesday.

Depp and Heard have been locked in legal battles for several years after Heard divorced Depp and then obtained a temporary restraining order against the actor in May 2016. The current legal issue stems from a 2018 op-ed Heard wrote for The Washington Post in which she wrote about being the victim of domestic and sexual violence and particularly how speaking out about the abuse negatively impacted her career. Heard did not name Depp in the op-ed. Depp, who is suing Heard for $50 million in the defamation suit, alleges that the op-ed led him to lose film roles and other opportunities. Depp has denied the accusations that he abused Heard. The proceedings are being broadcast on Court TV.

"Court cases that are as high-profile as this one often create a lot of noise, and it can be difficult for viewers to break through these distractions to have a clear picture of the facts, but that's where we come in," Ethan Nelson, Acting Head of Court TV, said in a statement. "Between the camera feed directly from the courtroom and our first-class lineup of talent, Court TV will be the true source of an unbiased, down-the-middle perspective of the trial as it unfolds."