He said, "Violence doesn't have to be" from the witness stand in his libel suit against Heard. "Why would anyone hit someone to get them to agree with you?"
Heard claims that Depp assaulted her physically and sexually on numerous occasionsbefore and after their brief marriage. Depp filed suit after Heard impliedly mentioned those allegations in an article she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018.
Depp addressed Heard's allegations in detail Wednesday. Heard claims that Depp assaulted her for the first time in 2013. He did it after she made fun at a tattoo that he had. It used to read "Winona Forever" while he was with Winona Ryder, but he changed it to "Wino Forever" following their breakup.
He said that the alleged assault didn't take place. "Why would someone make fun of my tattoos?" This allegation made no sense to me.
Later, he spoke out about an alleged attack on a private plane that flew from Boston to Los Angeles in 2014. He was filming "Black Mass." Heard said Depp had become intoxicated and attacked Heard on the plane ride.
Depp stated that he had taken two oxycodone tablets, an opiate to the which he admitted to being addicted. He also claimed that he locked himself in the bathroom of the plane and fell asleep to escape her harping.
He went to great lengths to explain what the difference was between falling asleep on opiates or blacking out on alcohol and maintained throughout his testimony that he wasn't addicted to booze.
Depp stated that he had only drunk a small amount of champagne before boarding the plane. Depp testified that he only drank maybe a glass of Champagne as he boarded the plane, according to evidence at an English similar trial -- a lawsuit that he lost -- Depp text his friend Paul Bettany and mentioned drinking half a bottle whiskey, "a thousand Red Bull vodkas" (a number of which were included in Depp's England case -- ) before the flight.
Depp also spoke out about a 2015 violent argument in Australia, shortly after their marriage. This resulted in his middle finger being shaved. He claimed that Heard was angry that Depp's lawyers asked him to sign a postnuptial agreement. Depp claimed he went to the basement bar to get vodka shots, further angering her.
He claimed that she had thrown two vodka bottles at his face, and the second exploded right where he was holding the bar. It severed the finger until it reached the bone.
He said, "I don’t know what a nervous break feels like but that’s probably the closest I’ve been to one."
Depp claimed that he started to write on walls with his own blood in order to tell Heard lies.
Depp claimed that he had injures himself. Concurrent text messages, which were introduced as evidence, also refer to Depp injuring his self. Depp claimed he lied to her about the accident. Heard's lawyers stated in opening statements that the laws of Physics do not support Depp’s story and will present evidence to prove it.
His Depp's Day 1 testimony in Fairfax County Circuit Court was mainly focused on his childhood and rise to fame as an actor. He also described his relationship with Heard, after meeting her in "The Rum Diary" in 2011.
Depp, who took the stand again for the second day, said that things started to change in his marital relationship when he felt "suddenly just wrong about everything" under Heard's eye.
Depp stated that Heard did not make any digs at him in order to degrade him. Depp stated that the insults escalated to full-fledged circular arguments, from which there was "no other way in or out".
"Ms. Heard could not be wrong," he stated.
He claimed that he was continually being told how wrong he was about different aspects of his life, including his 30 year acting career.
Depp stated that violence would often follow, sometimes with Heard's slap or shove or his wife throwing a remote control on the television or a glass in his face.
Depp stated that there were times when she would lock herself in the bathroom or some other place that she couldn't reach.
"Why did you stay?" Depp stated that he stayed because his father was there (with my mom) and that he didn't want me to fail. "I wanted it to work. I believed I could help her. "I thought maybe I could help her."
Depp claimed that he used drugs to deal with Heard's abuse. Heard also said Depp was a heavy drinker.
Depp claimed that he once stopped drinking in an effort to save his relationship. Depp claimed that Heard refused to stop drinking, even though he asked for her help in sobriety.
After she wrote an op-ed piece for The Washington Post 2018 in which she called herself a "public figure representing domestic violence," Depp sued Heard.
Although she never mentioned Depp's name, Depp and his lawyers claimed it was a reference to Heard's 2016 accusations. She sought a restraining or against him.
Depp claimed that the accusations and the article led to a reputational disaster for him, making him an outcast in Hollywood and costing him his lucrative role in the "Pirates of the Caribbean” movie franchise.
Heard's lawyers claim that the article is correct and does not defame them. According to them, Depp's bad behavior and drug and alcohol abuse is what has caused his reputation to be tarnished.
