It’s ‘impossible’ to believe Depp was abusive to anyone, says Winona Ryder
Star’s former partners say he was never violent, in statements read out at libel case hearing
JOHNNY DEPP’S former partners Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis have described him as a kind and loving man, saying it was “impossible” to believe he was capable of attacking anyone.
Ryder and Paradis said they did not recognise the description of him as a violent drug- and drink-fuelled abuser painted by Amber Heard, his ex-wife.
In witness statements released by the High Court as part of Mr Depp’s libel case against the publisher of The Sun, Ryder, 48, even suggested Ms Heard was not telling the truth.
Ryder, who recently starred in the Netflix hit Stranger Things, stated: “I do not want to call anyone a liar, but from my experience of Johnny, it is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true. I find it extremely upsetting, knowing him as I do. The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved.
“I cannot wrap my head around these accusations. He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen.”
Paradis, the singer, model and actress who had two children with Depp during a 14-year relationship which ended when he left her for Heard, said: “This is nothing like the true Johnny I have known, and from my personal experience of many years, I can say he was never violent or abusive to me.
“I have seen that these outrageous statements have been really distressing, and caused damage to his career because unfortunately people have gone on believing these false facts.”
The release of the statements came on the eighth day of Depp’s case against News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun, and Dan Wootton, The Sun’s executive editor, over an article in April 2018 that alleged he was violent towards Heard, 34, before and during their marriage.
Both Ryder and Paradis had been due to appear via video link in order to answer questions about their evidence.
However, Depp’s lawyers decided not to call them since the case did not rest on whether he was violent to other women but only against Ms Heard.
Sasha Wass QC, NGN’S barrister, told the court: “We would have wanted to cross examine both Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis, but a decision has been taken by the claimant to abandon them as witnesses.”
Mr Justice Nicol ruled that because extracts from their statements were read in open court at a preliminary hearing they should be made public.
In her statement, Ryder, who met Depp at a premiere in 1989, when she was 17 and he was 26, said: “I was absolutely shocked, confused and upset when I heard the accusations against him. I truly and honestly only know him as a really good man – an incredibly loving, extremely caring guy who was so very protective of me and the people that he loves, and I felt so very, very safe with him.”
The court previously heard that Depp had a “Winona Forever” tattoo which he later changed to “Wino Forever” and which Heard was alleged to have mocked in light of him failing to give up drink and drugs.
Earlier, Depp’s head of security for 14 years claimed Ms Heard was violent to the actor on multiple occasions. Sean Bett said Heard’s abuse of her husband became a “recurring cycle” during their relationship. He added: “On many occasions, I witnessed her shout at Mr Depp. I was also told by Mr Depp on multiple occasions that Ms Heard had physically abused him.”
The court was shown photographs taken by Mr Bett of injuries to Depp allegedly caused by Heard, including one showing a red mark on his cheek taken in March 2015 and another showing a scratch and reddening around his nose, taken in December 2015.
The hearing was also shown a photograph indicating that the day after Heard alleges Depp assaulted her at the end of her 30th birthday party in April 2016, she travelled to the Coachella music festival near Palm Springs
The hearing continues.
‘I do not want to call anyone a liar … but the idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved’