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Law & Order: SVU season 24 premiere to tackle Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial - details

It's another ripped from the headlines episode!

lando amber episode
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
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The Amber Heard and Johnny Depp multi-million dollar trial made headlines around the world earlier this year, and now it is getting the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit treatment.

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Rumoured to feature as the police procedural's season 24 opener, the high-profile trial which resulted in the jury ruling largely in Johnny's favour will be explored on the show as two fictional Hollywood names battle it out behind closed doors and in the court of public opinion.

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While little is known about the episode at the moment, photos taken from the set of the long-running drama show lead actress Mariska Hargitay in costume as her character Detective Olivia Benson on the steps of a courthouse next to a female character named Kelsey, played by The Girlfriend Experience star Julia Goldani Telles. 

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The pair are surrounded by overzealous supporters - and detractors - who hold up signs reminiscent of scenes from outside the Virginia courtroom where the Pirates of the Caribbean actor and the Aquaman actress had their six-week trial.

lando trial© Photo: Getty Images

While fans there declared themselves on either "Team Amber" or "Team Johnny", in the shots, the placards read "Team Kelsey" and "I stand with Austin" - supposedly the name of Kelsey's famous ex, who she is now either suing or being sued by. Elsewhere, ADA Dominick "Sonny" Carisi, Jr. played by Peter Scanavino, can also be seen, suggesting he will be defending Kelsey during the trial.

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The episode, if it does feature as the premiere episode for the upcoming season, will air on Thursday 22 September 2022 in between new episodes of the recently rebooted main series Law & Order and Christopher Meloni-led sister show Law & Order: Organized Crime.

The NBC drama is notorious for its "ripped from the headlines" storylines which take inspiration from real-life criminal cases and incidents, with recent episodes exploring Britney Spears' conservatorship and the crimes of fake heiress Anna Delvey.

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