The blockbuster libel trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard represents the most high-profile airing of Hollywood’s dirty laundry in years.

Millions around the world have watched on television as the two film stars and a parade of studio executives raked over not only the protagonists’ personal lives but also their careers, pulling back the curtain on the inner workings of the film industry.

Depp sued his ex-wife for $50 million (£40 million) over a column she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018 in which she never named him but described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse”. Depp said that her article had damaged his career. Heard responded to his defamation claim by countersuing for $100 million.

The pair took a scorched