Johnny Deppis testifying in court as he sues ex-wifeAmber Heardfor defamation.
“Never did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life,” he said under oath.
Depp added of Heard’s abuse allegations, “Since I knew there was no truth to it whatsoever, I felt it 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.” Depp is dad to daughter Lily-Rose, now 22, and son Jack, now 20.
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“It’s been six years of trying times,” he continued. “It’s pretty strange when one day you’re Cinderella, so to speak, then 0.6 seconds you’re Quasimodo. I didn’t deserve that, nor did my children, nor did the people who have believed in me for all these years. I didn’t want any of those people to believe that I had done them wrong or lied to them or that I was a fraud. I pride myself on honesty.”
“Truth is the only thing I’m interested in,” he added.
Johnny Depp.JIM WATSON/POOL/AFP via Getty
About the headline, “tragically, it’s true,” Rottenborn told the courtroom. “Amber did suffer sexual violence at the hands of Depp. … You will hear in the most graphic and horrifying terms about the violence that she suffered. You’ll hear that straight from her. She will get on the stand and she will tell you that. It happened.”
Shortly after, Rottenborn listed a time when Depp allegedly had a three-day, alcohol-fueled blackoutwhile in Australia in 2015toward the end of their marriage, when Depp “abused and sexually assaulted Amber, all because she had the courage to confront him about his drinking.”
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Heard and Depp, who met while making the 2011 movieThe Rum Diaryand wed in 2015, broke up in May 2016, when Heard sought a domestic violence restraining order against him, accusing him of abusing her. Depp denied the claims, and the former couple settled theirdivorceout of court in August 2016.
Back in November 2020, Depplost his highly publicized U.K. libel lawsuit caseagainst British tabloidThe Sunfor calling him a “wife-beater.” The court upheld the outlet’s claims as being “substantially true” and Heard testified to back up the claims. In March 2021, his attempt tooverturn the decision was overruled.
source: people.com
