Johnny Deppfinally took the witness stand in his$50 million defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard. ThePirates of the Caribbeanactor has sued Heard for an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post in 2018 in which she called herself a victim of domestic abuse. Although he wasn’t named in the article, Depp argues that Heard was clearly talking about him as she had previously accused him of abusing her. Depp has denied the allegations and is striving to get his name cleared. After numerous attempts to dismiss the case, Heard counter-sued Depp for $100 million.
After long delays, the high-profile trial began last week in Fairfax, Virginia, and so far, both sides have accused each other of abuse and produced witnesses to back up the claims. After a week of depositions, Johnny Depp took the stand on Tuesday morning. In an emotional testimony, Depp recounted his tumultuous upbringing, Hollywood career, his struggles with substance abuse, and his relationship withAmber Heard. Depp vehemently denied all abuse allegations made by theAquamanactress, calling them “heinous” and “disturbing.” Here’s what he said (viaHuffPost):
“About six years ago, Ms. Heard made some quite heinous and disturbing ― brought these disturbing criminal acts against me that were not based in any species of truth. It was a complete shock … It just didn’t need to go in that direction. Nothing of the kind had ever happened, though there were arguments, things of that nature. But never did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life.”
Johnny Depp will continue his testimony on Wednesday and will be cross-examined by Amber Heard’s lawyers. One week into the trial, it is already one of the most talked-about things on the internet. And it’s about to get even bigger. Over the next six weeks, several celebrities are expected to testify, including Paul Bettany, James Franco, Ellen Barkin, and billionaire Elon Musk. You can watch Tuesday’s livestream of the Depp vs. Heard defamation trial below.
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Johnny Depp Says He Has Nothing To Hide As He Is Speaking The Truth
Johnny Depp further said at the trial that he isn’t embarrassed to speak the truth, even if it comes at the cost of unraveling his private life. “I pride myself on honesty… on truth. Truth is the only thing I’m interested in,” Depp said. He also revealed that Heard’s “diabolical lies” made life difficult for his family as well, especially his children.
“So at the time, because the news of her accusations had permeated the industry and then made its way through media and social media, became quite a global, let’s say ‘fact,’ if you will and since I knew that there was no truth to it whatsoever, I felt my responsibility to stand up not only for myself in that instance but stand up for my children who at the time were 14 and 16.”
“I wanted to clear my children of this horrid thing they were having to read about their father, which was untrue,” Depp continued.
As per Hollywood insiders, the trial will likely be the final nail in both Depp and Heard’s careers, as both have proven to be volatile individuals. However, Depp seems to have garnered a lot more support than his ex-wife. After he was “fired” fromFantastic Beasts 3upon losing the U.K. defamation case, fans rallied behind him and even started a petition tokeep Depp as the villain Gellert Grindelwaldin the franchise. Another petition was also started tofire Amber Heard fromAquaman 2,which has since received over a million signatures. Johnny Depp will next be seen in an untitled French biopic of King Louis XV.
