Johnny Depp testifies that ex-wife bullied him, turned violent

Actor Johnny Depp

Actor Johnny Depp, testifying in a defamation case against his former wife Amber Heard, said on Wednesday that she was the one who became violent when their relationship soured, at one point throwing a vodka bottle that severed the tip of his finger.

After detailing their early romance during testimony on Tuesday, Depp returned to the witness stand in a Virginia court and said Heard's behavior changed. The couple had frequent arguments that included "demeaning name calling" and "bullying" by her, Depp said.

"It seemed like pure hatred for me," Depp said. "If I stayed to argue, eventually, I was sure it was going to escalate into violence, and oftentimes it did."

Asked to describe the violence, Depp said Heard would "strike out" with a slap or shove and recalled times she threw a TV remote at his head or a glass of wine in his face.

During one argument, Depp said he threw a vodka bottle that crashed into the wall. Heard then grabbed a larger vodka bottle with a handle and threw it at Depp's hand, cutting the top of his right middle finger, he said.

Depp said he felt like he was suffering some kind of breakdown and began writing on the wall with the blood coming from his finger. He said he wrote reminders of "lies" Heard had told him.

Jurors were shown a photo of the injury, which was surgically repaired.

"She has a need for conflict. She has a need for violence," Depp said of Heard. "It erupts out of nowhere."

In a similar legal case in Britain, Heard denied throwing a bottle and severing his finger. She said she threw things only to escape when he was beating her, and once punched him because she feared he would push her sister down a flight of stairs.

Depp said he would remove himself from the situation, sometimes locking himself in a bedroom or bathroom, and never struck Heard. "In all of these situations, my main goal was to retreat," he said.

"The Pirates of the Caribbean" star, 58, is suing Heard, 35, for defamation after she accused him of abuse.

Depp has accused Heard, also an actor, of defaming him when she penned a December 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post about being a survivor of domestic abuse.

The article never mentioned Depp by name, but Depp lawyer Benjamin Chew told jurors a week ago that it was clear Heard was referencing the Hollywood leading man. 

Attorneys for Heard have argued that she told the truth and that her opinion was protected as free speech under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. In opening arguments, Heard's attorneys said Depp physically and sexually assaulted her while abusing drugs and alcohol.

In his testimony on Wednesday, Depp described an effort to overcome an opiate addiction. He said Heard withheld medication from him that would have relieved symptoms of withdrawal because she said it was not time for the next dose.

The actor said he rolled on the floor, in tears, and begged Heard for the medication. "I hate saying this, having to admit this, but that was about the lowest point in my life," he said.

When Heard refused, Depp took a hot shower that scalded his skin but lessened the withdrawal symptoms, he said. Depp said he has recovered from the opiate dependency.

A state court judge in Fairfax County, Virginia, is overseeing the trial, which is in its second week and is expected to last six weeks.

Less than two years ago, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun, a British tabloid that labeled him a "wife beater." A London High Court judge ruled he had repeatedly assaulted Heard and put her in fear for her life.

Depp's lawyers have said they filed the case in Fairfax County, a suburb of the U.S. capital, because the Washington Post is printed at a facility there. The Washington Post is not a defendant in the case.

The United States is a difficult forum for libel plaintiffs, especially public figures like Depp, who must prove by clear and convincing evidence that Heard knowingly made false claims.

Heard, known for roles in "Aquaman" and "Justice League," has brought her own libel claim against Depp, saying he smeared her by calling her a liar.

Heard's counterclaim, seeking $100 million in damages, will be decided as part of the trial.

Reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles and Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Will Dunham

REUTERS