Johnny Depp and Amber Heard appeared in London’s High Court on Wednesday morning with Depp once again facing allegations of violent domestic abuse.
The Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts star has repeatedly denied Heard’s claim that he slapped the Aquaman actress across the face after she mocked his altered tattoo. The tattoo in question is one that originally served as a tribute to Depp’s ex, Winona Rider. Depp changed it in 1993 to read “Wino Forever.”
The barrister, Ms Wass, said Ms Heard had mocked the tattoo after Depp had begun drinking heavily- ending a 160 day stretch of his sobriety.
Ms. Wass went on to claim the actor then slapped his ex-wife across the face three times. Not only did Depp deny slapping Heard, he maintained having no memory of the conversation in question.
Depp maintains that domestic abuse allegations by Heard amount to a publicity stunt concocted by the actress, insisting that she is “building a dossier” against him in the form of “painted bruises” and an unsent email claiming Depp to have a “Jekyll and Hyde” persona.
In addition, Depp is now suing the Sun-Times, which ran an article referring to him as a “wife beater.” Both of Depp’s most prominent exes, Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis are expected to testify on his behalf.
Several photos of Amber’s alleged injuries have circulated online. Depp has insisted he has never been a perpetrator of abuse maintaining, “I have denied Ms Heard’s allegations vehemently since she first made them in May 2016 when she walked into court to obtain a temporary restraining order with painted-on bruises that witnesses and surveillance footage show she did not possess each day of the preceding week.
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“She was the perpetrator, and I was the victim. While mixing prescription amphetamines and non-prescription drugs with alcohol, Ms Heard committed innumerable acts of domestic violence against me, often in the presence of a third-party witness, which in some instances caused me serious bodily harm.”
In addition to the tattoo incident, Depp was questioned about his actions on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles in May 2014.
The barrister insisted Depp had verbally harassed his then wife on the plane by calling her a “slut” and a “whore” and accusing her of having an affair with James Franco. Ms. Wass insisted Depp threw ice cubes at Heard and slapped her across the face.
Depp countered that Heard was the instigator saying “As Ms. Heard was berating me, screaming at me and whatnot, as is her wont, she began to get physical.”
The barrister suggested the actor went to the plane’s bathroom, where he passed out. Depp admitted he had “grabbed a pillow from the couch and slept on the bathroom floor”.
Depp has also been accused of directly placing Heard’s dogs in danger. An instance was discussed wherein Heard’s dogs consumed Depp’s Marijuana Hash, he is also accused of dangling another one of her dogs out the window.
Depp conceded, “The puppy got a hold of a little ball of hashish and just scooped it up before I could get to it.”
It wasn’t clear that Heard’s case would move forward in the court, but Mr. Justice Nicol ruled last week the case could go ahead.
One injury incurred by Depp might sway the case. Confusion swirls around Depp’s injury to his middle finger.
The Sun-Times insists the tip Depp’s finger was severed in an injury in the midst of “an alcohol and drug-addled rage against Ms Heard” in 2015.
Heard’s legal team has insisted he lost the tip of his finger smashing a telephone against the wall, but Depp has claimed the injury was a result of a glass bottle Heard threw at him. He also maintains his ex wife put “a cigarette out on [his] right cheek” during the altercation.
The couple dated for 4 years before marrying in 2015. They settled their divorce out of court in 2017.
Stay tuned…
SOURCE: BBC
