Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard have today appeared at the High Court in London on the second day of the Hollywood legend’s blockbuster libel case against The Sun.
Depp, 57, and Heard, 34, both arrived today at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where more than 30 photographers were waiting outside the entrance, wearing face coverings.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor is suing The Sun for labelling him a ‘wife beater’ and yesterday branded those accusations ‘sick and completely untrue’ at the high-profile trial.
Yesterday Depp claimed he decided to divorce Heard, 34, after she defecated in their marital bed ‘as a prank’ as he denied hitting her and said she had abused him throughout their marriage.
Later in the trial video was played appearing to show Depp throwing a wine bottle to the floor in a ‘drunken rage’ at Heard after telling her ‘you wanna see crazy? I’ll give you f***ng crazy’.
During the first day of a three-week trial yesterday, the High Court was given a glimpse of Hollywood as a string of celebrities including Keith Richards, Sir Elton John, Marilyn Manson and Hunter S Thompson were mentioned.
Depp was quizzed on his drinking and drug abuse, his alleged violent outbursts and his attitudes towards women.
Actor Johnny Depp arriving at the High Court in London for a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton
Actress Amber Heard arriving at the High Court in London for a hearing in Johnny Depp’s libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton
Depp, 57, and Heard, 34, both arrived today at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, where more than 30 photographers were waiting outside the entrance, wearing face coverings
The actor will enter the witness box again today, when the legal team for publisher News Group Newspapers (NGN) will continue with their cross-examination.
In a written outline of the actor’s case, his barrister, David Sherborne, said the article made ‘defamatory allegations of the utmost seriousness’ against Mr Depp, accusing him of committing serious assaults on Ms Heard and ‘inflicting such serious injuries that she feared for her life’.
Mr Sherborne said: ‘The articles amount to a full-scale attack on the claimant as a ‘wife beater’, guilty of the most horrendous physical abuse. The claimant’s position is clear – Ms Heard’s allegations are complete lies.
‘The claimant was not violent towards Ms Heard, it was she who was violent to him.’
He added: ‘The marriage was at times physical, at her instigation, and on occasions he found it necessary to defend himself from her violence. He is not a wife beater and never has been.’
The video shows the pair appearing to argue in the kitchen they shared together while Depp repeatedly slams cupboard doors and kicks at a cabinet. He is also heard shouting ‘motherf*****’ during the 90 second video.
Depp is seen to grab a bottle of red wine which he pours into a large glass, described by The Sun’s lawyer as a ‘mega-pint’, while in a heated discussion with Heard.
He then appears to throw a wine bottle to the floor moments after telling Heard ‘I’ll give you f***ing crazy’. The footage ends when the actor appears to notice he is being filmed and grabs the device from the kitchen counter.
The video was shown yesterday on day one of the High Court legal battle, during which Depp told the court he was ‘having a moment’ and was ‘violent with some cupboards’ but said that ‘Ms Heard was not struck’.
In other developments during the dramatic opening session:
- Depp accused Heard of being a calculating, narcissistic sociopath who married him to progress own career;
- Said Heard once told his former head of security, Mr Jerry Judge, that the actor was a ‘fat old man’ and ‘she did not know why she married me’;
- Star insisted he was never violent, but admitted to trying ‘every kind of drug known to man very young age’;
- He spoke about the abuse he had suffered during his childhood, and said drugs helped deal with ‘pain’;
- Admitted to taking drugs with Marilyn Manson ‘twice’ and another time with Avengers star Paul Bettany;
- Recalled how friend River Phoenix tragically died of a heroin overdose at his nightclub in West Hollywood;
- Remembered ‘trashing’ hotel where he was staying with Kate Moss in 1994, landing him with a $10,000 bill;
- In 1999, Depp said he assaulted photographers to protect then-partner, Vanessa Paradis, who was pregnant;
- Claimed to spend ‘much’ more than £24,000 a month on wine but said Elton John helped him to go straight;
- Referred to Vanessa Paradis as the ‘pain the a**e French ex albatross’;
- Depp’s lawyer alleged that Heard had ‘two extra-marital affairs’ or ‘extra-relationship affairs’ with Elon Musk and James Franco;
- Meanwhile, Heard’s lawyer revealed messages in which he called himself ‘the monster’ – which she claimed was his ‘drunken alter-ego’;
- Denied ‘any physical altercation’ with a crew member he was accused of attacking in 2017 on the set of his film, City Of Lies.
Johnny Depp in his own words as he takes the stand in libel trial
Depp on his drug-fuelled childhood:
‘My experience of alcohol and stimulants began at a very young age’
‘I remember my mother used to ask me to get her nerve pills. Around the age of 11 it dawned on me that these pills calm your nerves and I brought them home and took one. That began what was the only way to numb the pain’
‘Every kind of drug known by man I’d tried’ by age 14
Asked whether he had taken drugs with Marilyn Manson: ‘Yes. Twice, maybe’
Depp on his heroes:
‘Hunter S. Thompson was an idol of mine. I believe he has a very famous quote that says I don’t condone the use of drugs or alcohol to anyone but they’ve always worked for me’
‘Keith Richards has been a role model for me. He’s one of my favourite guitarists and a great role model’
‘I have always been interested in the counter-culture and many literary heroes of mine, including Chaucer, who was an opium addict, and Thomas De Quincey, author of ‘Confessions of an English Opium Eater’, were into this subject’
Depp on his ‘anger problems’
‘I don’t [have anger problems]. I was angry, doesn’t mean I have anger problems’
After being asked about a hotel room he trashed while girlfriend Kate Moss slept: ‘Rather than assaulting a human being I assaulted a couch’
Asked about a clip of him smashing cupboard doors around Heard: ‘I was violent with some cupboards’
Depp on his alcohol addiction
Asked whether it was ‘nonsense’ that he spent more than $30,000 a month on wine while with Ms Paradis because it was ‘more than that’: ‘It was’
‘I would definitely say that towards the end of my relationship with Ms Paradis, the mother of my children, it was a very painful time… I was more than likely trying to numb myself’
Depp on getting sober:
In an email to Elton John in 2012: ‘My dearest Elton, 100 f****** days of clarity for an old reprobate t**t like me. No one would ever have believed it possible but for a select few, most importantly you
‘I would have been swallowed up by the monster were it not for you’
Depp on his own fame:
‘It’s a very confusing thing because you become a product and your name no longer sounds the way it did when you were growing up… When I speak my own name it sounds foreign to me’
‘When you are trying to figure out what it’s all about, when success and notoriety and all these things come to you and you don’t quite understand why you have them and you don’t feel very worthy, it’s very confusing’
Depp on his violent upbringing:
‘The best way that I can explain it was that when I was going to have a baby back in 1998 [with partner Vanessa Paradis], one of my promises was that I would raise my child in the exact opposite manner that I was raised’
‘It was not a particularly stable or safe home life, there was a lot of unpleasantness in the house’
‘I’m well aware that there’s been a lot of pain the way I was raised’.
Depp claimed he decided to divorce Heard after she defecated in their marital bed ‘as a prank’ as he denied hitting her and said that she had abused him throughout their marriage.
In a written statement, the actor said Heard or ‘possibly one of her friends’ was responsible for the incident after her 30th birthday party in 2016, but claimed she dismissed it as ‘just a harmless prank’, and he said it was the final straw in their deteriorating marriage.
‘Ms Heard confessed to our estate manager, Kevin Murphy, that leaving the faeces in the bed had been ‘just a harmless prank’, thereby effectively acknowledging that she had been responsible, whereas she had previously sought to blame our dogs,’ he said.
Today, he took to the stand to deny ever hitting Heard, as a series of newspaper stories alleged, and said it was ‘inconceivable’ that he would ever hit a woman, citing his Southern upbringing and saying he considers chivalry ‘very important’.
He said: ‘It is a strong and central part of my moral code that I would never strike a woman, under any circumstances, at any time. I find it simply inconceivable and it would never happen.’
While denying attacking Heard he also launched a blistering attack on her, accusing her of being a ‘calculating, narcissistic sociopath’ who married him to further her career.
His defence reeled off a string of incidents in which she had allegedly attacked him throughout their marriage including when she threw a vodka bottle at him, severing his finger, in Australia in 2015.
Depp also cited another incident in which she ‘repeatedly’ punched him in the face on a private jet in 2014 and claimed that she punched him again as he fled to the toilet.
In contrast, the actress’ lawyers painted Depp as a domestic abuser who repeatedly attacked her when he was drunk or high on drugs.
Throughout cross-examination yesterday from NGN’s lead counsel, Sasha Wass QC, which covered a wide-ranging series of topics, the star appeared calm and collected, occasionally injecting his answers with humour.
At one point Ms Wass said: ‘We see you now, very charming and polite and very softly spoken, but there is another side of you, isn’t there, that is less charming?’
Mr Depp said: ‘I’m afraid that would not be for me to judge.’
He added: ‘Your statement is quite blanket and it would apply to every single human being.’
Ms Wass suggested that there was a ‘nasty’ side to Mr Depp’s character
She later suggested Mr Depp ‘regularly engaged in destructive and violent behaviour’, which he denied.
The actor’s case against NGN and Mr Wootton arises out of the publication of an article on The Sun’s website on April 27, 2018 with the headline ‘Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be “genuinely happy” casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?’
NGN is defending the article as true and says Depp was ‘controlling and verbally and physically abusive towards Ms Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs’ between early 2013 and May 2016, when the couple split.
A separate libel claim brought by Depp against Heard in the US, over a December 2018 column in the Washington Post, which said the actress received ‘the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out’ but did not mention Depp by name, is due to begin next January.
The pair met in 2011 and began living together in 2012 before marrying in Los Angeles in February 2015.
Heard obtained a restraining order against Depp in LA shortly after the couple split in 2016 and donated her seven million US dollars (£5.5 million) divorce settlement to charity.
How the star-studded relationship between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp fell apart amid claims of violence and abuse
Johnny Depp’s high-profile libel claim against the publisher of The Sun is over allegations he was violent towards his ex-wife Amber Heard during their relationship – claims the Hollywood star vehemently denies.
The pair met in around 2011 on the set of The Rum Diary, a film adaption of a novel by Depp’s friend Hunter S Thompson, before they started living together in around 2012.
Here is a timeline of the key events in their relationship and the bitter legal battle that has ensued.
2013
– March 8: Depp allegedly tries to set fire to a painting by Heard’s ex-partner Tasya van Ree before he is said to have attacked her for the first time, which the actor denies.
2015
– February 3: The couple marry in a private ceremony at their home in Los Angeles.
– March 3-5: The key incident in The Sun’s defence, the three-day trip to Australia has been described by Heard as a ‘three-day hostage situation’ in which Depp was allegedly physically and verbally abusive while drinking heavily and taking drugs.
Depp denies the allegations and says Heard lost her temper after a conversation about a post-nuptial agreement.
– April 21: The couple arrive in Australia with their pet Yorkshire Terriers Boo and Pistol, which they did not declare to customs officials in Queensland. Heard was charged later with bringing the dogs into the country illegally – the charges were later dropped and the pair later recorded a bizarre video apologising for bringing their dogs to Australia.
2016
– Around May 22: The pair separated, Heard claims after an incident at their LA penthouse in which Depp allegedly became very angry and destroyed property with a bottle of champagne.
– May 23: Heard files petition for the dissolution of their marriage.
– May 27: Heard applies for a temporary domestic violence restraining order, which prevents Depp from contacting her.
– August 16: The estranged couple reach an agreement concerning the dissolution of their marriage. Heard later donates her seven million US dollar (£5.5 million) settlement to charity.
2017
– January 13: The couple are formally divorced.
2018
– April 27: The column by The Sun’s executive editor Dan Wootton is published online at around 10pm. Under the headline ‘Gone Potty – How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?’, Mr Wootton asked if the Harry Potter author had been ‘blinded by a personal friendship’ with Depp.
The piece also quoted two alleged victims of disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein, which Depp says was included to ‘finish his career’.
– April 28: The following day, the online article is amended to remove the words ‘wife beater’ from the headline, which was not included in the print edition.
– June 1: Depp files claim his libel against News Group Newspapers. His written claim, filed a few weeks later, claims the article ’caused serious harm to (his) personal and professional reputation’ and also caused him ‘significant distress and embarrassment’.
– December 18: The Washington Post publishes an op-ed by Heard which did not mention Depp by name, but said that the actress ‘became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out’.
2019
– February 27: Depp fights off a bid to halt his English legal action after The Sun applies for his claim to be ‘stayed unless and until’ the star confirmed in writing that he would not sue Heard if she participated in a forthcoming trial.
– March 1: Depp files a libel case against Heard in Virginia, blaming the Washington Post piece for Depp being dropped from the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise and claiming that Heard was the one who had been abusive towards him.
2020
– February 26: Johnny Depp attends the High Court in London for a preliminary hearing ahead of a trial which was due to begin the following month. The star heard NGN’s barrister Adam Wolanski read out texts sent by Depp, including one from November 2013 to actor Paul Bettany, in which Depp wrote: ‘Let’s burn Amber.’
He also wrote: ‘Let’s drown her before we burn her!!! I will f*** her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she is dead.’
– March 20: The trial, which was due to begin on March 23, is postponed due to the global coronavirus crisis. NGN’s lawyers had claimed Depp wanted to delay the trial ‘because he’s a coward and because he knows he’s going to lose’, which was denied by Depp’s legal team.
– April 8: Mr Justice Nicol rules that parts of Heard’s evidence, relating to allegations of sexual violence, will be heard in private.
– May 13: The court gives permission for Depp’s former partners Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder – who both say Depp was ‘never violent’ to them – to give evidence. Heard’s former personal assistant Kate James is also permitted to give evidence.
– June 25: NGN asks the court to throw out Depp’s claim just two weeks before trial over the star’s failure to disclose text messages of him apparently trying to buy drugs in Australia in 2015. The publisher’s lawyers say Depp deliberately withheld text messages they say show him trying to obtain ‘MDMA and other narcotics’.
– June 29: Mr Justice Nicol rules that Depp did breach a court order by not disclosing documents from separate libel proceedings against Heard in the US – which include the text messages. But Depp’s lawyers argue that it would be ‘wholly disproportionate’ to strike out the actor’s libel claim.
– July 2: The High Court rules Depp’s claim can go ahead after granting his application for ‘relief from sanctions’ for the breach of a court order.
– July 4: The trial judge, Mr Justice Nicol refuses an application by Depp’s lawyers to exclude Heard from court until she gives evidence.
– July 7: The three-week trial finally begins at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, with witnesses set to include Depp’s former partners Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder as well as several of Heard’s friends who say they were present when Depp was abusive.
