Depp ‘no wife-beater’ lawyer tells court as trial draws to a close
Johnny Depp is “no wife beater” and it is his ex-wife, Amber Heard, who was the “abuser” in the relationship, the actor’s lawyers have told the High Court in London.
Recordings between the couple show that the Aquaman actress has a “propensity for violence”, the Hollywood star’s legal team alleged.
In closing submissions on the final day of what is the biggest English libel trial of the 21st century, Mr Depp’s barrister, David Sherborne, said the court needed to decide whether the allegation that the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor was “guilty of serious assault on Ms Heard, causing her significant injuries, is true or not”.
Mr Depp is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), publisher of The Sun newspaper, and its executive editor Dan Wootton over a 2018 article which alleged he was violent towards Ms Heard, 34, and labelled him a “wife beater”.
During yesterday’s hearing, Mr Sherborne told the court: “The evidence of Ms Heard being violent herself, especially starting physical fights, is highly relevant.
“At its very core, we say it demonstrates that she is the abuser, not Mr Depp. He is no wife beater.”
He referred to “recordings made between Mr Depp and Ms Heard” which he said “demonstrates Ms Heard’s propensity to violence”.
The barrister played an audio recording of a conversation between the couple in September 2015, in which Ms Heard tells him: “I didn’t punch you ... I’m sorry that I didn’t hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you. Babe, you’re not punched.”
Ms Heard also says: “You didn’t get punched. You got hit. I’m sorry I hit you like this.
But I did not punch you. I did not f***ing deck you.”
Mr Sherborne said: “If it was a man who had said what Ms Heard said and who had admitted to what she admitted to, this was Mr Depp for example, and it was the other way around, can you imagine what consternation there would be?”
Later in the hearing, Mr Sherborne referred to the aftermath of an alleged incident of domestic violence on 15 December 2015, saying there were witnesses who had evidence “about watching Ms Heard be physical”, including Tara Roberts, Mr Depp’s property manager in the Bahamas, who he said had “a graphic account... that Ms Heard perpetrated acts of violence on Mr Depp”.
Mr Depp was greeted by fans as he arrived at court.
Mr Justice Nicol has said that his judgment will be reserved.