Heard and Depp often argued ‘like schoolchildren’, claims employee
● Former estate manager says star goaded by ex-wife
Amber Heard was the “antagoniser” in her relationship with Johnny Depp, often “goading” and attempting to provoke the actor, the High Court has heard.
The couple argued “like schoolchildren”, with rows starting from “banal beginnings” before escalating, according to Mr Depp’s former estate manager.
Ben King, who worked for the Hollywood star for three separateperiodsbetween2014 and2016,inaustralia,london and Vancouver, Canada, also said in witness statements that Mr Depp, 57, often left notes with comments such as “let’s not do this again” and “I love you”.
Mr Depp is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) and its executive editor Dan Wootton over an April 2018 Sun newspaper article which labelled him a “wife beater” and alleged he was violent towards ex-wife Amber Heard, 34, during their relationship.
In one written statement, Mr King said that during his employment he “frequently witnessed Ms Heard goading and attempting to provoke Mr Depp”, adding he never saw the actor “be violent or unkind towards Ms Heard, or indeed towards anyone else”.
In a second statement, he said: “The way they argued could make them seem like schoolchildren.
“In hindsight, during the month in London, and during my time in Australia, I saw Ms Heard as the antagoniser.”
He added: “I want to make clear that I did not see any violence at any time. I do not want to accuse Ms Heard of anything, but this was what I saw of the pattern of their arguments.”
In his first witness statement, Mr King said that in March 2015, he was summoned to the house the couple were renting in Australia, where he found a “significant amount of damage” and discovered the actor’s severed finger tip on the floor of the bar area while cleaning up broken glass and debris.
Mr Depp has been accused of subjecting Ms Heard to a “three-day hostage situation” and trashing the house during the Australia trip, which he denies.
The actor’s finger was severed during the stay, which he says was caused by Ms Heard throwing a bottle at him, which she denies.
Mr King said that on the flight back to Los Angeles from Australia with Ms Heard, she asked him “have you ever been so angry with someone that you just lost it?”
He said: “I replied that that had never happened to me. She seemed incredulous and asked again, ‘you have never been so angry with someone that you just lost it?’
“Again, I answered that I had not and Ms Heard did not continue on this topic. This question seemed alarming to me, given the severity of the damage I had earlier witnessed at the house and the apparent serious injury to Mr Depp’s finger.”