‘Depp threw a magnum of champagne at wife in party row’
HOLLYWOOD star Johnny Depp threw a magnum of champagne at his then wife Amber Heard when she was annoyed that he missed her 30th birthday dinner, the High Court was told today.
Depp had received bad news about the disastrous state of his finances on the night of the celebration, April 22, 2016, and he missed the sit-down dinner organised with Heard and friends due to an important business meeting.
The actor said he went to bed to read when he returned to their LA penthouse, hoping to avoid a confrontation with his wife because she was “disappointed” that he had missed the party.
However Sasha Wass QC said Heard claims Depp got out of bed to attack her, because he “didn’t like being criticised”. “The argument
picked up pace and you picked up a magnum bottle of champagne and you threw it at her, but it missed and the glass smashed,” Ms Wass told Depp in court.
“You grabbed Ms Heard by the hair and pushed her on to the bed. When she tried to leave you blocked the bedroom door and you tried to grab her hair.”
Ms Wass accused Depp of pushing Heard to the ground and “bumping chests” with her before leaving a note on his way out reading: “Happy f***ing birthday”.
Depp told the court he was “in a very low state of mind” after his business meeting and may have smoked marijuana, but he denied any violence and said he went to read in bed to “avoid yet another confrontation”.
“She was rather angry and aggressive, so I tried to avoid the conversation or the fight,” he said.
The couple met on the set of 2011 film The Rum Diary and married in 2015, but by May 2016 Heard had filed for divorce and obtained a restraining order against her husband.
She claims to have been the victim of domestic abuse throughout most of their relationship, alleging at least 14 incidents of violence by Depp towards her.
Depp, who is suing News Group Newspapers, owner of The Sun, for libel over a 2018 article which dubbed him a “wife-beater”, insists that Heard is lying, suggesting she compiled a “dossier” of false abuse claims during their relationship as insurance and is using them in a #MeToo hoax.
Yesterday, the court heard allegations that Depp headbutted Heard in December 2015 in an “uncontrollable rage”, and a recording was played of the pair discussing the incident.
Depp was heard saying: “I headbutted you in the f***ing …” before Heard interrupted to say: “I couldn’t believe you did that.” Depp then continued, saying: “… forehead. That doesn’t break a nose.”
In the witness box, Depp said Heard was “swinging wildly” at him in the incident, and he said their heads clashed accidentally as he put his arms out to prevent her from “flailing and punching me”.
Depp’s evidence will be completed today. Heard is due to give her account from next Friday.
The civil trial continues.