JOHNNY TALKS FIGHT SCENES
Jurors on Monday heard graphic recordings of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s vicious fights, including one in which the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor barked at his ex-wife, “Shut up, fat ass.”
The audio clips came as Depp, 58, concluded his four days of long-winded, gripping and at times bizarre testimony in his $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard, 35, over her claims of domestic abuse.
“It was the only time I was able to fight back and use my own voice,” Depp testified, referring to his decision to sue.
His remark came hours after jurors in the Fairfax, Va., courtroom heard Depp berate Heard, calling her a “c- -t,” in a recording played by her lawyer, Ben Rottenborn.
In another clip, Depp warned Heard about what could happen if their explosive argument continued. “The next move, if I don’t walk away . . . it’s going to be a bloodbath, like it was on the island,” he said.
In one particularly tense moment heard by the the panel of 10 jurors, Depp suggested that Heard should cut him with a knife. “You’ve taken everything. You want my blood, take it,” he said in a clip.
While Heard was recorded ref
erencing a time Depp “beat the s- -t” out of her, he continued to deny ever hitting her and accused her of being the abuser.
‘I’m never getting clean’
Jurors were also made privy to a recording of Heard seemingly goading Depp to come forward as a “victim of domestic violence” and appearing to suggest he wouldn’t be believed.
“Tell the world, Johnny, tell them, Johnny Depp, I, Johnny Depp, a man, I’m a victim, too, of domestic violence,” Heard said, before challenging him to “see how many people believe or side with you.”
Depp claims Heard defamed him in a 2018 Washington Post opinion piece in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse. Depp was not named in the essay, but he says it clearly referenced him and ruined his career, damaged his reputation and cost him tens of millions of dollars.
Heard’s team argues that Depp did abuse the “Aquaman” actress, physically and sexually, and claims that his denials are not credible because he was often too drunk or high to recall what happened.
Her attorney on Monday played a recording of Depp telling Heard he had no interest in kicking his addictions. “I want you to be clean and sober so we can fix all of our problems,” she says in the clip.
Depp, famous for playing drunken pirate captain Jack Sparrow, responds, “I’m never getting clean and sober.” “I know,” Heard says.
Depp winced and Heard appeared to fight back tears while listening to the intense clips.
While the audio made up much of Depp’s testimony Monday, the actor was also grilled over vulgar text messages he sent, including one in which he wrote that Heard “is as full of s- -t as a Christmas goose.”
The message came after a now-infamous 2015 fight with Heard in Australia that left Depp with a severed finger. In the same text, read in court, Depp called Heard “a malicious, evil and vindictive c- -t” who had an “obsession with herself ” and was “so desperate for success and fame.”
‘Rotting corpse’
Depp expressed irritation with Rottenborn’s questions throughout his cross-examination.
In one testy exchange, Depp snapped at the lawyer: “I’m sorry. I was talking. Is that all right?”
Depp also seemed peeved as Rottenborn read headlines from a series of negative articles written about the actor, some dating back to 2014.
“These are all hit pieces. These are dreck,” he said.
The actor’s legion of female fans were back in court Monday, as well, looking on adoringly as he testified and laughing at his snarky answers to questions from Heard’s lawyer.
After the group let out a roar of laughter, Judge Penney Azcarate warned, “Order in the court or I will have you removed.”
During questioning from his own attorney, Depp tried to explain some of the shocking texts, including one to a friend saying he hoped Heard’s “rotting corpse was decomposing in the f- -king trunk of a Honda Civic.”
“The text that is about burning Ms. Heard is — it’s directly from Monty Python in a sketch about burning witches and then drowning the witches,” Depp told the jury, referring to the British comedy troupe.
Following Depp on the stand was Ben King, who managed the Australian property rented by Depp and Heard in 2015.
The house manager told the jury about finding part of the actor’s severed finger “directly below the bar” — and said the couple left at least $50,000 in damage, including smashed bottles, alcohol spilled on the floor and blood smeared on the walls.
Depp previously testified that his digit was cut when Heard hurled a handle of vodka his way during a vicious fight.
She has denied causing the injury, saying Depp cut himself during a three-day drugfueled bender.
Depp’s team is expected to continue to call witnesses the rest of the week.