The high-profile trial between famous exes Amber Heard and Johnny Depp proceeded this week with the actor continuing to dispute his ex-wife’s allegations of domestic violence during their relationship, which lasted roughly five years.
Depp’s $50 million defamation suit against his ex-wife began nearly two weeks ago with explosive testimonies, video and audio recordings, and text messages.
Here are the top five highlights since the trial began in case you’ve missed it.
5. Details about Depp’s childhood and family life
The actor went into detail about how his father would discipline him, often via what he called “whippings” with a belt. Depp’s sister and business partner Christi Dembrowski was called as a witness to verify that both their parents were abusive, with their mother often referring to them by cruel nicknames such as “cockeye” and “bucktooth.”
BILL MURRAY BEING INVESTIGATED FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR
Depp blamed his substance abuse problems on his upbringing, telling the jury that he began trying his mother’s “nerve pills” at the age of 11. By the age of 15, Depp claimed he’d done “all the drugs I’m aware of.”
A couple’s counselor for Depp and Heard, Dr. Laurel Anderson, testified that Heard’s father abused her throughout her childhood.
4. Evidence of human feces on their bed
A photo of human feces on a bed was presented in court as evidence. A woman who worked for Depp took the photo and sent it to him while he was away.
“My initial response to that was — I mean, I laughed. It was so outside — it was so bizarre and so grotesque that I could only laugh,” Depp said on the stand.
“She tried to blame it on the dogs,” Depp said of the time when he confronted Heard about it. “They’re teacup Yorkies. They’re 7 pounds each.”
3. The full story behind Depp’s severed finger
Depp went into detail about the day he had to visit an emergency room after severing part of his middle finger. He said Heard threw a bottle and a handle of vodka at him for relapsing after attempting sobriety.
“The second bottle made contact and shattered everywhere,” Depp said. “I felt heat, as if something were dripping down my hand. I looked down and realized the tip of my finger had been severed.”
“It looked like Vesuvius.”
2. Heard admitted to hitting Depp
Amid her assault allegations against her ex-husband, Heard admitted to a couples counselor that she was guilty of starting violent fights. She made the admission to Depp as well in audio recordings.
“I didn’t punch you,” Heard says in one recording. “I’m sorry I didn’t hit you across the face in a proper slap. I was hitting you — it was not punching you.”
Dr. Anderson also confirmed that Heard was often the first to become violent in fights, according to private counseling sessions she had with the actress.
“A lot of things trigger her,” Anderson said. “And if she’s triggered, she would hit him first.”
For example, she said, if Depp made a move to leave a room in order to “deescalate the fight, [Heard] would hit him to keep him there.”
1. Heard’s sexual assault allegations
For the first time since Heard came out with her allegations of domestic violence, Heard’s attorneys revealed that Depp also abused her sexually. Attorney Elaine Charlson Bredehoft made the allegations during the first day of the trial.
“He has her jammed up against the bar,” Bredehoft told the jury during opening statements. “He has hurled bottles and bottles at her. He has dragged her across the floor on the broken bottles. He has punched her. He has kicked her. He has told her he’s going to f***ing kill her, and he f***ing hates her. He’s pounding at her, pounding at her. And then, he penetrates her with a liquor bottle.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Depp is suing Heard for defamation over a 2018 op-ed in the Washington Post wherein, he says, she implied that Depp was a domestic abuser.
