Actor recounts emotional toll during second day of libel trial testimony
Johnny Depp has alleged that his struggles with substance abuse were triggered by the “constant haranguing” from his ex-wife, Amber Heard, as he continued his testimony during his libel trial against her.
Appearing in Fairfax County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Depp stated that his ex-wife’s repeated insults throughout their marriage often escalated into arguments that left him feeling cornered. “I was inspired to reach out for a numbing agent by Ms Heard because of the constant clashes,” Depp explained. “I had to have something to distance me and my heart from those verbal attacks, I had to have something to maintain me.”
Depp, 58, is suing Heard, 35, over a 2018 op-ed published in The Washington Post in which she referred to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” While Depp was not named in the article, his legal team has maintained that the piece is a clear reference to the accusations Heard made in 2016 when the pair divorced and she sought a restraining order against him. Heard’s legal representatives have defended the article, arguing that it is factual and does not defame him.
The pair married in 2015, and Heard filed for divorce just one year later. Depp alleged that arguments with Heard became an “endless parade of insults” that left him feeling trapped. He stated: “Ms Heard was unable to be wrong. It just didn’t happen. She couldn’t be wrong.”
Depp went on to suggest that the arguments often turned violent. “If I stayed to argue, eventually, I was sure it was going to escalate into violence, and oftentimes it did,” he said. Describing the instances, Depp explained that Heard would “strike out,” starting with acts such as slaps, shoves, or even throwing objects like a TV remote or a glass of wine.
The trial, now in its second week, is expected to last for at least another month. Depp previously lost a libel case against The Sun less than two years ago, when a judge ruled that he had repeatedly assaulted Heard and put her in fear for her life.
The case continues to unravel the complex legal battle between the two actors.
