Depp admits chopping off his own fingertip

Writing to Dr David Kipper on March 7 2015, Depp said: ‘‘I cut the tip of my middle finger off. What should I do? Except of course go to hospital. I am so embarrassed for jumping into anything with her. F**K the world. JD.’’

In a second message sent on March 19, he wrote: ‘‘Thank you for everything. I have chopped off my left middle finger as a reminder that I should never cut my finger off again. I love you brother, Johnny.’’

Depp is suing News Group Newspapers, the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article which alleged he was violent and abusive towards Heard and referred to him as a ‘‘wifebeater’’.

The couple who met on the set of 2011 comedy The Rum Diary were married in Los Angeles in February 2015 and separated 18 months later.

It was alleged during yesterday’s hearing that Depp tore off Heard’s nightgown and grabbed her breasts, pinned her against a ping-pong table and tried to strangle her.

Describing the events of March 4 2015 Adam Wolanski, QC, representing The Sun said: ‘‘That night the complaint shoved Ms Heard into a ping-pong table, threw bottles through window panels of a glass door, then grabbed Ms Heard and tore off her nightgown.

‘‘The complainant grabbed Ms Heard by her neck and choked her against the refrigerator.

‘‘The complainant mocked her, while touching and grabbing her by her breasts and repeatedly shoved her up against the refrigerator.

‘‘The complainant then grabbed Ms Heard by the neck and collarbone, slammed her against the countertop and strangled her.’’

The court heard the pair had another fight in 2013 which resulted in Depp falling to his knees sobbing that he had a ‘‘monster’’ living within him. Heard made a witness statement about the row last year.

Summarising it, Wolanski said: ‘‘He said he was sorry, and he wouldn’t do it again. He thought he had killed that other person. The monster as he called it. ‘‘He said it was sickness.’’

The pair reached an out of court divorce settlement in 2017. The full libel trial is due to begin on Monday. – Telegraph Group