Following a six-week trial, the jury diligently deliberated for hours on May 31 but remained undecided in the high-stakes defamation case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, involving millions of dollars.
The jury is set to reconvene their deliberations on Tuesday (local time) at Virginia's Fairfax County Circuit Court.
Throughout this trial, explicit and sensational testimonies about the tumultuous marriage between the two movie stars have come to light.
Now, let's explore what crucial matters the jury must consider.
What are the key considerations for the jury?
At the heart of the legal battle is a December 2018 opinion piece by Ms. Heard in The Washington Post, where she addressed the issue of domestic abuse.
Though Mr. Depp's name was not explicitly mentioned in the article, his attorney asserted that Ms. Heard was undoubtedly referring to him.
Mr. Depp responded with a $US50 million ($70 million) defamation lawsuit, claiming that Ms. Heard's op-ed severely damaged his reputation and career.
In turn, Ms. Heard countersued Mr. Depp, seeking $US100 million ($140 million) in damages.
What must they decide?
The jury, comprised of seven members, must determine if two specific passages and the headline of the article can be deemed defamatory.
The jury verdict form provides instructions on how to arrive at a conclusion, including whether the statements were directed at Mr. Depp, were false, and had defamatory implications concerning him.
As Mr. Depp is a public figure, Ms. Heard can only be found guilty of defamation if the jury concludes that she acted with "actual malice," which implies:
During the trial, Ms. Heard's legal team argued that if she experienced even a single incident of abuse, Mr. Depp's libel claim should fail.
The online version of Ms. Heard's op-ed bore the headline: "I Spoke Up Against S-xual Violence — And Faced Our Culture's Wrath. That Has To Change."
Her attorneys contended that she spoke the truth, and her statements were protected under the US constitution's first amendment, guaranteeing freedom of speech.
Mr. Depp's lawyers filed the US case in Fairfax County, Virginia, due to the printing of The Washington Post in that location, although the newspaper itself is not a defendant in this matter.
Unexpected stage appearance of Mr. Depp with Jeff Beck
While waiting for the verdict of his defamation trial in the US, Mr. Depp made an unanticipated appearance on stage at London's Royal Albert Hall on May 30.
Joining English rock guitarist Jeff Beck, Mr. Depp performed for a total of 20 minutes, even returning for an encore.
Beck introduced him as, "Someone who came knocking on my dressing room door about five years ago, and we haven't stopped laughing since."
"We kept this quiet," Beck added, "for obvious reasons."
Allegations of abuse
Throughout the trial, jurors listened to recorded fights between the couple and saw graphic photos of Mr. Depp's injuries.
One notable incident was when Ms. Heard allegedly threw a vodka bottle at Mr. Depp in 2015, severing the top of his finger.
Ms. Heard, on the other hand, denied causing any injury to Mr. Depp's finger and made more than a dozen allegations of abuse against him. Among these was an accusation of s-xual assault with a liquor bottle during an alcohol-fueled rage.
Mr. Depp strongly denied all claims of physical or s-xual abuse, asserting that Ms. Heard fabricated these allegations to tarnish his reputation. He also claimed that she physically assaulted him on multiple occasions.
