Aquaman actor Amber Heard has admitted to hitting ex-husband and Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp on multiple occasions but claims that every strike was in self-defense and that she never assaulted him.
"There are many times I had to use my body to defend myself, and that included slapping wherever I could," Heard said during her fourth day on the stand at Depp's ongoing defamation trial against the actor. "If it meant I could get away, absolutely, or the difference between a sore face and a broken nose… I tried to defend myself when I could, but it was after years of not defending myself." According to Rolling Stone, when questioned under cross-examination by Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez about her previous domestic violence allegation from 2009, the actor stated, "I’ve never assaulted Mr. Depp or anyone else that I’ve been romantically linked to, ever."
Heard had earlier testified in the trial that Depp allegedly physically abused her on multiple occasions. "I will never forget it," she said, recounting the first time she alleges Depp hit her. "It changed my life." Heard recalled the two were talking about Depp's "Wino" tattoo -- a modified version of a tattoo Depp originally got while dating ex-girlfriend Winona Ryder. Heard said she initially couldn't read what it said and laughed when he told her. "I just laughed, because I thought he was joking. And he slapped me across the face," Heard said. "And I laughed. I laughed because I didn't know what else to do. I thought, 'This must be a joke.'"
The actor also disclosed during cross-examination that Depp had tried to kill her. After Vasquez played audio recordings of arguments between the couple and read-aloud love notes that Heard had written to Depp after he had allegedly abused her, the attorney asked Heard, "You weren't scared of him at all, were you?" The Aquaman star responded, "This is a man who tried to kill me. Of course it's scary. He's also my husband."
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million in defamation for a 2018 Washington Post op-ed detailing her alleged experience with domestic abuse. Depp claims the op-ed ruined his careerand cost him multiple film roles, including a $22.5 million payday for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. He also states that Heard was the actual abuser in their relationship. Heard has denied the accusations and counter-sued Depp for $100 million in defamation.
The trial began in April and is scheduled to conclude on May 27 where it will then go to the jury for deliberation.
Source: Rolling Stone