Johnny Depp recently revealed to a court that his ex-wife Amber Heard was the one who was aggressive and violent in their marriage, detailing how she allegedly hurt him with a “roundhouse punch” and recounting his version of the incident that resulted in his now-famous severed finger.
Depp told the jury on the sixth day of his libel trial that Heard occasionally displayed “pure hatred” for him and that disputes might “escalate” into her getting violent, with a slap, a shove, or a “glass of wine in my face.”
The actor said that his ex-partner had a “need for conflict” and “couldn’t be wrong,” and that she would frequently use his children against him, describing him as “a terrible father.”
Throughout his evidence, Depp revealed how he cut his finger during the couple’s 2015 trip to Australia, stating Heard “hurled” one bottle at him and then tossed another, inflicting the injury, which he characterized as “grotesque.”
The actress, who has yet to testify, claims that she did not cause the injury.
Just after the tip of his finger was chopped off during the argument, Depp informed the jury that he was “probably the closest I’ve ever been” to having a mental breakdown, explaining in graphic detail how his finger was left looking “like Vesuvius” as blood gushed out.
Day 6 of the trial: Key Takeaways from Depp’s Testimony
- Depp has denied assaulting Heard physically or sexually during their relationship once again, claiming that it was the actress who grew aggressive and started fights.
- To get away from growing arguments, the actor said he would frequently lock himself in the toilet.
- He claimed that Heard threw a bottle at him, causing his now-famous amputated finger; she is anticipated to deny this during her testimony.
- In court, jurors were shown a horrific image of Depp’s cut finger.
- Depp recounted an incident in which Heard reportedly struck him, claiming that she caught him with a “roundhouse punch.”
- Regardless of the trial’s conclusion, the actor claims he will be haunted by Heard’s charges for the rest of his life.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million (£38.2 million) for libel, while Heard has counterclaimed for $100 million (£76.4 million).
The trial was brought about by a 2018 piece Heard published in The Washington Post, which Depp’s attorneys contend wrongly indicates he physically and sexually assaulted her.
‘It could begin with throwing a TV remote at my head’
Depp testified for the second day in a row, saying that his marriage to Heard had started to seem like he was “in a relationship” with his mother over time.
He also said Heard had “pure hatred” for him at times, and that it frequently “escalated into violence” on her side. When asked what he meant by this, Depp explained that Heard would occasionally “strike out” in her “frustration,” “rage,” and “anger.”
He claimed it may start with a slap or a shove, or “throwing a TV remote at my head” or “throwing a glass of wine at my face.”
Depp said that Heard used “teenage high-school techniques” and that her “bullying” had gotten out of hand.
Depp claims that he has ‘never’ been hit by a woman in his life.
Depp was asked about the first episode of alleged domestic abuse, which Heard claims occurred in early 2013, during the day’s hearing in Fairfax, Virginia.
The actress says she was provoked by Depp’s “Wino Forever” tattoo, which was famously altered from “Winona Forever” after his breakup with actress Winona Ryder in the 1990s.
This “didn’t happen,” Depp told the court, echoing his repeated claims that he never hit Heard and that he had “never struck a woman in my life.
‘I was staring at my bone,’ he says about the severed finger.
Depp revealed in 2015 that his journey to Australia, which took place shortly after he and Heard married, was “probably the closest I’ve ever been” to having a breakdown.
Heard previously stated that Depp was aggressive throughout the trip, describing it as a “three-day hostage scenario.”
Depp accused her of hurling a smashed bottle at him. He first “felt no discomfort at all,” but as he looked down, he realized what had happened.
HHdddsfe told the jury “I looked down and realized that the tip of my finger had been severed and I was looking directly at my bone sticking out, and the meaty portion of the inside of your finger, blood was just pouring out and… I don’t know what a nervous breakdown feels like, but that’s probably the closest I’ve ever been. Nothing made sense. I knew in my mind and in my heart, this is not life. No-one should have to go through this.”
Jurors were given a warning after seeing a photograph of Depp’s wounded finger, which had been brought into evidence.
Depp told the court that he had scrawled “small reminders” of Heard’s “lies” on the surfaces of the house they were living in his state of shock.
‘Roundhouse punch’
The court was given an image of Johnny Depp‘s face, which he claims shows him with a bruise after what he characterized as a “roundhouse punch from Ms. Heard.”
He says this photo was taken a few weeks after his finger injury in Australia.
Depp claims there was an altercation at his LA penthouse about “something or other,” and Heard was “trying to hit me, trying to do anything she could.” Heard’s sister Whitney was there and allegedly jumped in the way, but the actress “got the roundhouse in and struck me in the cheekbone,” he told the court.
‘It controlled my every waking second’
Depp also discussed how Heard’s claims of abuse had impacted his life in court. He adds he felt “sick” seeing the stories acquire “momentum around the world” when they were initially made public. Before his children were given articles at school, he claimed he had to inform them what to anticipate.
Depp tells the court that he notices people “looking at you differently” and that communications from agents and producers halt. “To say that it was unfair is about the largest understatement… it controlled my every waking second.”
Even though Heard’s Washington Post story did not identify him by name, he went on to argue that it was “obviously” about him and their marriage.
“Nothing less than everything,” he said when asked what he has lost as a result of the claims.
He went on to say: “When the allegations were made when the allegations were rapidly circling the globe, telling people that I was a drunken, cocaine-fuelled menace who beat women – suddenly in my 50s – it’s over. You’re done.”
Depp told the court that he will “carry these allegations for the rest of my days” regardless of what happened in the case.
The actor’s cross-examination began in the last 30 minutes of the session on Wednesday and will continue on Thursday.
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