The actor Johnny Depp took the stand on Tuesday within the defamation case he introduced in opposition to the actress Amber Heard, his former spouse, in search of to clear his identify from home abuse allegations that he stated had been “not primarily based in any species of reality.”
Ms. Heard has accused Mr. Depp in court docket papers of abusing her repeatedly all through their relationship, together with by slapping her, kicking her, headbutting her and dragging her by her hair.
However Mr. Depp informed a seven-person jury sitting in Fairfax County Circuit Court docket in Virginia that it got here as a “full shock” when she lodged these accusations publicly.
“By no means did I personally attain the purpose of hanging Ms. Heard in any approach,” the actor testified, “nor have I ever struck any girl in my life.”
Talking slowly and punctiliously, Mr. Depp described how the allegations despatched his popularity and profession, characterised by flashy roles in “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Manufacturing unit,” in decline.
“It’s very unusual when in the future you’re Cinderella, so to talk, after which in 0.6 seconds you’re Quasimodo,” he stated. “And I didn’t deserve that.”
The testimony got here on the fifth day of the trial over whether or not Ms. Heard, 35, defamed her former husband, Mr. Depp, 58, when she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Put up in 2018. In it, she stated her profession had been harmed after she turned a “public determine representing home abuse.”
Mr. Depp’s identify was not talked about within the op-ed, however he and his legal professionals have argued that she was clearly referring to their relationship, which led to divorce in 2017. Mr. Depp’s lawsuit claimed that Ms. Heard’s op-ed “devastated” his as soon as flourishing performing profession.
The jury can be contemplating a countersuit from Ms. Heard, who claims that Mr. Depp defamed her when his former lawyer made statements saying Ms. Heard’s home abuse claims had been an orchestrated “hoax.”
In court docket papers, Mr. Depp has alleged that Ms. Heard bodily abused him all through their relationship, together with by throwing objects at him. He stated these objects included a vodka bottle that shattered on the counter close to him and severed one in all his fingers — an account that has develop into a key anecdote within the trial.
Ms. Heard has denied in court docket papers that she assaulted Mr. Depp, besides in self-defense or in protection of her sister. She has stated Mr. Depp harm his finger whereas smashing a telephone in opposition to a wall repeatedly.
On Tuesday, Mr. Depp offered an account not not like the one he gave in London two years in the past in an earlier defamation case he introduced in opposition to The Solar newspaper for calling him a “spouse beater” in a headline. In that trial, a choose discovered that there was “overwhelming proof” that he had assaulted Ms. Heard repeatedly throughout their marriage and that he had put her “in worry of her life.”
Throughout their opening arguments final week, Ms. Heard’s legal professionals informed the jury that they might be presenting proof of “graphic and horrifying” abuse in opposition to Ms. Heard, together with cases of sexual assault, which Mr. Depp denies. One in all her legal professionals, Ben Rottenborn, questioned whether or not Mr. Depp’s accounts of occasions had been credible if he was “blacked out” on medicine and alcohol, and he argued that Mr. Depp was liable for the decline of his profession, not Ms. Heard.
“This man’s poor decisions have introduced him to this courtroom,” Mr. Rottenborn stated.
Ms. Heard has stated Mr. Depp’s violence usually occurred when he was utilizing medicine and alcohol.
However Mr. Depp testified Tuesday that, whereas he had taken his first illicit drug as an 11-year-old coping with an abusive mom, the account Ms. Heard has put ahead about his drug use was “grossly embellished.”
He stated he had develop into hooked on Roxicodone, an opioid, when he was prescribed it following an damage on the set of the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, however that he had detoxed from that drug throughout their relationship.
“I’m not some maniac who must be excessive or loaded on a regular basis,” he stated, including that Ms. Heard’s pals, in reality, marveled at how little impact medicine and alcohol had on him.
Mr. Depp’s legal professionals have argued that Ms. Heard has been “dwelling and respiration this lie” surrounding home abuse for years and that the actor’s drug and alcohol use didn’t make him an abuser.
“Mr. Depp, like all of us, will not be excellent, however he’s not an abuser,” stated Camille Vasquez, one of many actor’s legal professionals, final week.
In prior days, the jury and 4 alternates have heard dwell testimony or recordings of video depositions from a number of witnesses referred to as by Mr. Depp’s legal professionals, together with a sister who has acted as a private supervisor, Christi Dembrowski; a doctor, Dr. David Kipper, who stated he handled the actor for opioid habit; and the couple’s marriage counselor, Laurel Anderson, who stated she noticed “mutual abuse” within the relationship.
Individuals have stated they count on the trial to final about six weeks, and Ms. Heard can be anticipated to testify. Mr. Depp’s testimony will proceed on Wednesday.
