Depp kicked Heard over Franco ‘affair’
AMBER Heard told a court yesterday that Johnny Depp kicked her in the back on a plane after falsely accusing her of an affair with actor James Franco.
Giving instances of “disgusting” verbal and physical abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Depp, she said their relationship turned into a “constant battle”.
Jurors at Fairfax County District Court, Virginia, heard that Depp, 58, had taken particular issue with her professional relationship with Franco, who he “hated”.
Heard, 36, said when Depp got on a plane in May 2014,
“he reeks of weed and alcohol, and his breath smelled so bad. I could anticipate there was a no-win situation”.
He “was saying really disgusting things about my body...and then he started straight up insulting me. And this is happening in front of everyone.”
She said she moved seats several times and Depp threw “ice cubes and utensils” at her before sitting in front of her and slapping her face. Amber continued: “I walk away from him, my back is turned and I feel this boot in my back. He just kicked me in the back. I fell to the floor and it felt like I was looking at the floor of the plane for a long time. No one said anything, no one did anything, you could hear a pin drop, you could feel the tension.” The court was played audio from the flight in which Depp can be heard moaning, which Amber described as a “howl like an animal”.
Heard, who took to the witness box on Wednesday, also described how she was “constantly catering” to his changing moods as he took different medication to help him detox from drugs. She told the court the early days of their relationship were “a beautiful and strange time”, and that she had “fallen head over heels in love”.
The court was shown a picture of Depp, apparently asleep in a chair in the Bahamas. Heard said it followed a “stint of sobriety” but then says Depp returned to drinking again.
He has not made eye contact with Heard while she has been giving evidence. Depp is suing her for $50million (£40m) over an article in which she said she was a victim of abuse. She is countersuing for $100m (£81m). The trial continues.