Amber Heard said in court that her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, often hit her during drug and liquor-fueled rages that she claimed converted the actor into an “ugly creature.” Ms Heard testified on week four of the trial, alleging that a pattern of assault started in 2012.
Mr. Depp is suing Ms. Heard over a narrative she wrote in which she characterized herself as a victim of domestic violence. Mr. Depp denied any misconduct throughout his appearance.
Ms. Heard stated immediately after taking the witness stand that she is at a loss for words to express how terrible this is. It’s a nightmare for her to be here for weeks and relive everything.
Ms Heard, 36, testified for several hours in Virginia on Wednesday, recalling her first meetings with the “charming” Mr Depp while filming The Rum Diary in Puerto Rico.
Ms Heard stated that they “fell in love” during the film’s press tour in 2011, when it was released.
Ms Heard claimed that the beginning phase of their relationship was quickly ruined by nasty comments Mr Depp began making in 2012 – the same year she claims he struck her for the first time.
Ms Heard claimed in emotional evidence that she laughed when Mr Depp, 58, revealed that a tattoo on his arm stated “Wino” – a modification to a tattoo he created during a past relationship with actress Winona Ryder. She remembered, she laughed because she assumed he was joking. And then he smacked her across the face.
She just sort of laughed at him, expecting he was going to start laughing too, to tell me it was a joke,” Ms Heard continued. “He, however, did not. He slapped her once more. It’s something she will always remember.
Mr. Depp has denied the encounter occurred and stated in court that the accusation “never made any sense” to him.
Ms Heard attempted to paint Mr Depp as someone who could be kind and caring, but who would fly into rages – sometimes over imagined disloyalty – when under the influence of drink or drugs in her evidence on Wednesday. He allegedly tried to conceal his substance misuse, which varied from drinking spirits to taking “a lot” of cocaine, according to her.
“He’d make allegations after accusations, and then he’d erupt,” Ms Heard alleged, adding that Mr Depp would slap and “backhand” her. Ms Heard stated that he would “vanish” following the arguments.
She continued that he’d come back clean and sober, extra sweet and extra sorry, and we’d be back on track.
Ms Heard reportedly claimed that Mr Depp performed a “cavity search” on her during an incident at a drug-fueled desert party in Hicksville, California. She sobbed saying that she simply stood there.
Mr Depp said that he never hit Ms Heard and described her as having a “need” for confrontation and brutality.
The defamation complaint is based on an opinion post Ms Heard wrote for the Washington Post in December 2018. She didn’t name her ex-husband or any other claimed culprit.
However, Mr. Depp’s attorneys claim that the piece obviously referred to him and that it destroyed his profession and “limitlessly” harmed his reputation.
The trial is scheduled to last at least one more month.
