A week after Johnny Depp concluded his testimony, it was Amber Heard's turn to take the stand in the Virginia court where the former couple is entangled in a defamation trial, each accusing the other of mutual abuse.
Tearfully, the 'Aquaman' actress testified that the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor physically and abused her, recounting incidents from slaps after she laughed at one of his tattoos to a distressing assault when he allegedly searched her body for cocaine.
Heard recounted that their relationship had been "magical" until it turned violent. In the defamation lawsuit filed by Depp, he claims her Washington Post article in 2018, where she spoke of suffering "domestic abuse" after their divorce, constitutes defamation.
"I'm here because my husband sued me for an article I wrote," stated Heard, expressing the deep pain of reliving the darkest moments of their five-year relationship. Throughout her three-hour testimony, the 36-year-old actress depicted Depp, 58, as a violent man struggling with aggression and serious drug addiction issues.
Contrary to Depp's denial of ever hitting a woman, Heard detailed multiple instances where she alleges Depp physically assaulted, threatened, and abused her. One such incident she recalled involved a trip to the Bahamas just before selling their yacht, during which they argued about her struggles with alcohol and drugs.
Heard recounted that during the Bahamas trip, Depp confronted her for discussing her addiction with her children, who were also present. "Then he grabbed me by the neck, held me for a second, and told me that he could kill me and that I was a shame," she stated, appearing in court wearing a dark three-piece suit and breaking into tears on several occasions.
Depp, present in the room with sunglasses and a gray suit, attempted to avoid eye contact with Heard, although his expression conveyed disbelief upon hearing her testimony. The couple, who met during the filming of 'The Rum Diary' in 2008 and officially started dating in 2011, experienced a rapid deterioration in their relationship, marked by violent incidents, according to Heard.
She nostalgically described feeling like the most beautiful person in the world when they were together but acknowledged the first time Depp hit her, following her laughter at one of his tattoos. "I wish I had been able to leave, but I didn't," she emphasized, noting that Depp's behavior became increasingly violent afterward, influenced by drug use, including searching for drugs in int--ate areas.
