Ex-wife Amber Heard terrified of Johnny Depp's abusive alter-ego
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp went through a messy divorce after the former accused the latter of domestic abuse. Now all of their altercations have risen to the surface as The Hollywood Reporter has obtained a previously unseen deposition. It sheds light on Heard's fear of Depp's dark abusive side while showing the conflicting accounts from the Hollywood bigwigs. Read all about it here.
Was 'petrified of the monster', says Heard
Heard claimed being petrified of Depp's other personality, a dark part that was present when he abused her. "We call that the monster, have called [that] the monster for many years," indicating the abuse went on for a long time. She spoke about the altercation on May 21, 2016, saying Depp had thrown a phone at her face, injuring her, before yanking her hair.
Neighbor and police give conflicting accounts of the incident
Heard's neighbor Raquel Pennington came over to the apartment on the night of the assault at her behest. She claims having seen Depp swinging a bottle of magnum wine knocking things over. Raquel also claimed taking pictures of Heard's bruises that night. Responding LAPD officers, however, testified to not seeing signs of injury on Heard's face or broken items on the apartment floor.
Depp paints different picture, says Heard was 'aggressive and violent'
Depp paints the picture of abuse differently. He said Heard was 'aggressive and violent', having punched him twice in the face for being late to her birthday party on April 21, 2016. On May 21, Depp claims, he tossed the phone on the sofa and never hit Heard. He further claimed his guards accompanied him as he was concerned of what Heard might do.
The testimony's importance in case between Depp and 'The Sun'
The testimonies and accounts have added importance in light of the upcoming trial between Depp and UK tabloid The Sun. Depp sued them for defamation over a story in April 2018, titled 'How can J.K. Rowling be 'genuinely happy' casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?' The story referenced Depp's abusive nature and Heard's application for a restraining order against him.
'The Sun' has to prove Depp is lying, using testimony
The law in the US and UK work differently. In the former, the accuser has to prove the defamatory statement is false. However, in the UK, the defendant has to prove that the statement is true. Heard might be disallowed from testifying in the UK proceedings due to a nondisclosure agreement. Thus her previous testimony becomes key for The Sun to disprove Depp's account.
