The Oscar-nominated actor went into great depth regarding Heard’s claims of domestic abuse, his past with substance misuse, and their relationship during his almost three-hour testimony, which will resume on Wednesday.
Early in his speech, Depp stated, “My purpose is the truth.”
In a Fairfax County, Virginia court, Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote about her experience with domestic abuse. Depp is recognised for his work in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.
Heard’s article did not mention Depp by name.
Heard claimed Depp damaged her face after hurling a phone at her in their Los Angeles home years before the book was published. Depp rejected the accusation and was cleared of any wrongdoing.
“Never did I reach the point of hitting Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life,” Depp claimed in his evidence.
He also spoke about his parents’ troubled relationship and his mother’s verbal and physical abuse of him and his brothers. He also claimed that his first encounter with controlled substances happened when he was about 11 years old, when he used his mother’s prescription medicines “to escape the chaotic nature of what we were going through.”
Depp alleges that Heard’s op-ed cost him money, claiming that he was dismissed from future “Pirates of the Caribbean” films after 15 years as the franchise’s leader.
“One day you’re Cinderella, and the next day you’re Quasimodo,” Depp remarked of how his career changed after he was accused of sexual misconduct. “Neither did I, nor my children, nor the people who had trusted in me all these years deserve it.”
In his evidence, Depp sheepishly revealed that he had not watched the first film in the “Pirates” trilogy. “I totally believed in the character,” he remarked.
‘She was too wonderful to be true,’ says the narrator.
Depp said Tuesday that his evidence was the “first opportunity I’ve had to talk about this subject in full” since the trial began last week.
Depp and Amber met on the set of “The Rum Diary” in 2009, married in 2015, and then had a difficult breakup for months, with both sides accusing the other of terrible behaviour.
“From what I recollect, what I remember, she was too good to be true,” Depp said in his evidence on the beginning of his relationship with Heard.
“She was attentive, she was loving, she was intelligent, she was kind, she was humorous, and she was patient. We had a lot of interests “he stated
Heard was “amazing” for a year to a year and a half, according to Depp. He also talked about how he grew close to Heard’s family.
“Then things just started to shift — or, to put it another way, things started to reveal themselves.”
“Our relationship was incredibly passionate and at times tumultuous, but always connected by love,” the pair said in a joint statement after their divorce was finalised in August 2016.
Heard has tried unsuccessfully to have the lawsuit dismissed. In 2020, she launched a $100 million defamation countersuit against Depp, which is still active.
A previous instance
Late this year, Depp lost a legal battle in the United Kingdom against News Group Newspapers and Dan Wootton, executive editor of The Sun, over an article alleging Depp was aggressive against Heard during their relationship. The High Court of the United Kingdom found in favour of the publisher.
In court documents, lawyers for the newspaper group said that Depp “beat his wife Amber Heard, causing her considerable harm, and on occasion led to her fearing for her life,” using images, audio recordings, and Depp’s own text messages as proof.
On Tuesday, Amber Heard meets with her lawyer in the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse.
Depp said during the trial that the tabloid’s assertions that him was abusive against Heard were “absolutely incorrect.”
In his ruling, Judge Andrew Nicol stated that the paper’s statements had been proven to be “basically true.”
Heard released a letter on her verified social media sites ahead of the current defamation trial, saying “I never mentioned [Depp], instead writing about the price women pay for speaking up against powerful males. I’m still paying the price, but perhaps when this case is through, I’ll be able to go on, as will Johnny.”
“I’ve always loved Johnny, and it hurts me tremendously to have to live out the specifics of our prior life together in front of the public,” she wrote. “At this time, I acknowledge the continued support I’ve been privileged to get over the years, and I’ll be drawing on it more than ever in the coming weeks.”
