On the second day of her testimony, Depp’s ex-wife raises further serious allegations. The Hollywood star repeatedly hit and kicked her. Depp denies such violence under oath.
At times in tears, actress Amber Heard has made serious accusations against her former husband, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp. In the first two days on the witness stand on Wednesday and Thursday, the 36-year-old Heard reported several incidents of verbal abuse, beatings and other forms of violence. The trial was then adjourned until May 16th.
Heard recounted another brutal incident on the second day of her testimony on Thursday: “He (Depp) just kept hitting me. I thought, ‘This is how I’m going to die. He’s going to kill me now. He’s going to kill me and not even know it.’” The actress had previously reported on several other alleged assaults by Depp. He once attacked her on a plane under the influence of drugs when she wanted to change seats during an argument: “I can feel these boots on my back. He just kicked me in the back. I fell on the floor,” Heard said, fighting back tears.
Especially when intoxicated, Depp often became violent, reported Heard, who answered questions from her lawyer for several hours on Thursday. There had also been sexual violence, including in Australia.
Verbal attacks
The “Aquaman” actress also described several verbal attacks in which Depp allegedly threatened that he could kill her. He called her a “whore” and accused her of cheating on him for no reason. He told her he hated her and that she ruined his life. Heard’s lawyers showed photos of the actress, such as a bruise on her upper arm.
The 58-year-old Depp, at times with dark glasses, listened almost motionless to what his ex-wife said from a few meters away. He avoided eye contact, keeping his head down most of the time.
Allegations denied under oath
In his four-day testimony on the witness stand in Fairfax County Court, Depp denied under oath that he ever struck Heard. The actor admitted that there had been arguments in their relationship. Heard, in turn, had a “need for violence,” he accused his ex-wife.
After a good dozen days of trial, Depp’s team had completed its evidence on Tuesday. About two dozen witnesses had their say. In his civil lawsuit, Depp alleges that his ex-wife made false statements in a 2018 op-ed by the Washington Post about domestic violence. This damaged his reputation. Depp is suing for around 50 million dollars (a good 45 million euros) in damages for defamation, Heard has filed a counterclaim.
Marriage lasted only 15 months
Depp and Heard met while filming The Rum Diary in 2009. Their romance began in 2011 while on a promotional tour for the film, following Depp’s split from his longtime partner, French actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children. Depp and Heard married in 2015, but the actress filed for divorce after just 15 months of marriage. She accused her husband of domestic violence.
Their relationship was “intense” from the start, Heard said on Wednesday. She fell head over heels in love with Depp. “It was like a dream, absolutely magical,” she said of the beginning of their romance.
At the beginning of her questioning, she had said: “I’m here because my ex-husband sued me.” It was “terrible” for her to “experience everything again” here for weeks and to talk about her past chapter with Depp .
Through tears, the actress described an incident from 2012, early in their relationship, when she was allegedly first hit by Depp. He was using alcohol and drugs when their conversation about a tattoo on his arm ended in physical assault. At first she thought it was a bad joke, but Depp hit her in the face three times in a row. “It changed my life,” Heard said, visibly upset. Depp then apologized to her in tears on his knees and promised he would never do it again.
In front of the jury, she described Depp’s alleged intoxication, in which he had completely lost control of himself. But when he was sober, he told her that she was his salvation.
The process is expected to take several weeks. Observers assume that Heard will be questioned for several days, including cross-examination by Depp’s lawyers.
