Johnny Depp takes stand, testifies in opposition to Amber Heard: ‘My purpose is the reality’ – Nationwide

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Johnny Depp took the stand in courtroom Tuesday to testify in opposition to ex-wife Amber Heard, whom he has accused of ruining his fame and profession with false accusations of home violence.

In a sluggish and stilted tone, Depp started his testimony addressing about how he needs the general public to know the reality about what occurred between the couple.

“I needed to look ahead to my alternative to handle the costs, which had been felony costs. They simply weren’t true.”

Talking regularly of the impression the case and its particulars have had on his youngsters, Depp mentioned he’s additionally suffered from a private fall-from-grace.

“At some point you’re Cinderella, so to talk, after which in 0.6 seconds you’re Quasimodo.”

The totally televised authorized battle of the divorced couple has captured the eye of spectators across the globe, with each Heard, 35, and Depp, 58, claiming to be victims of violence. The preliminary courtroom case started when Depp filed a $50-million defamation lawsuit over a Washington Put up op-ed penned by Heard in late 2018 about home abuse.

Heard didn’t point out Depp by identify within the article, although in courtroom paperwork he alleges his fame and profession had been nonetheless “devastated” consequently.

Day 5 of the trial in Fairfax County Circuit Courtroom in Virginia noticed the A-list actor take the stand.

When questioned about his childhood, Depp described intimately the abuse he and his siblings suffered by the hands of his mom, Betty Sue Palmer.

“My mom was fairly unpredictable. She had the power to be as merciless as anybody will be,” Depp shared.

“Basically, she might turn out to be fairly violent and she or he was fairly violent and fairly merciless.”

Depp shared examples of his mom throwing ashtrays or beating her youngsters with a high-heeled shoe.

“In our home we had been by no means uncovered to any sort of security or safety. The one factor that one might do, actually, was to remain out of the road of fireplace.”

And, though he mentioned there have been usually fights between his mom and father, he mentioned his father was by no means abusive.

Depp additionally detailed the early days of his relationship with Heard.

“At first, from what I recall, she was as if she had been too good to be true,” he mentioned, including that they shared related musical and literary pursuits.

Nonetheless, there have been early warning indicators that one thing is likely to be off, mentioned Depp.

He recalled how Heard would deliver him a glass of wine and take of his sneakers on the finish of every day. At some point, when he got here residence from work he took of his sneakers himself and mentioned Heard turned “visibly shaken, upset, that I had damaged her guidelines of routine.”

That was one of many first indicators their relationship started to vary, mentioned Depp.

“Inside a yr, year-and-a-half, she had turn out to be one other particular person, virtually.”

Depp’s attorneys have already referred to as on a number of witnesses, together with buddies, the couple’s therapist, and the physician and nurse who declare they handled the Pirates of the Caribbean actor for substance abuse points.

In opening statements delivered by the previous spouses’ authorized groups final week, Depp’s attorneys declare Heard is “selecting to lie about him for her personal private profit.”

Heard’s attorneys argued the other, claiming freedom of speech allowed the Aquaman actor to pen the Washington Put up op-ed.

In November 2020, Depp misplaced a U.Okay. libel case in opposition to British tabloid The Solar, which referred to as him a “wife-beater.”  The courtroom discovered Heard’s claims within the Washington Put up article had been “considerably true.” Depp’s request to attraction the choice was denied.

As the brand new trial continues, jurors will hear from a number of potential witnesses, together with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, actor James Franco and Marvel WandaVision star Paul Bettany.

Franco and Musk had been introduced into the case when Depp accused each of getting an affair with Heard. Each Franco and Musk are on Heard’s witness record. Bettany, who had a number of personal and disturbing textual content messages with Depp learn in courtroom in 2020, will testify as a part of Depp’s workforce.

Heard is countersuing for $100 million in damages. The declare can even be determined inside this trial.

Courtroom proceedings are anticipated to final about six weeks with a jury verdict figuring out if Heard defamed Depp on the trial’s finish.