He told jurors calmly that he had filed the libel suit against his ex wife because it was his best opportunity to reclaim my reputation. This just hours after hearing audio clips in which he criticized his wife with vulgarities and coarse language.
Depp stated that he sued Amber Heard because of an op-ed article in The Washington Post, in which she called herself “a public figure representing domestic violence.”
He denied ever hitting Heard and accused her, among other things, of hitting him with paint cans and bottles. Jurors also heard Depp’s audio conversation with Heard, in which Depp seems to mock him and suggests that he wouldn’t be trusted or respected if publicly calling her an abuser.
Heard said on the recording, “Tell them, Johnny Depp. I’m a victim to domestic abuse… and see how many people believe in you.”
They heard Depp speak of the violence that could result if their arguments escalated earlier Monday.
Depp states on the recording, “The next move, and if I don’t walk away… it’s going to be bloodbath like it was on an island.”
Other clips show Depp shouting vulgarities at his wife and calling her a degrading title. He also shouts, “You stupid —” at you.”
Depp shook his head as one of the clips was being played. Heard seemed to be fighting back tears as she listened to the recordings.
Heard’s Op-Ed does not mention Depp, but he claims that he was defamed because some parts of the piece refer to abuse allegations she made in 2016, when she filed for divorce.
These clips were part of a long cross-examination of Depp, which began last week and ended late Monday morning.
Throughout the cross-examination, Heard’s lawyers were focused on Depp’s drinking, drug use, and charges interactions with Heard during their relationship.
Depp said very little during Monday’s cross-examination. The majority of the questions were answered by Heard’s lawyer who played audio clips and read vulgar text messages from Depp, asking Depp if they’d been understood correctly.
Depp expressed his disapproval with Rottenborn’s questions throughout the cross-examination. Rottenborn interrupted one answer and Depp replied, “I was speaking.” Rottenborn responded that he considered the question fully answered. Depp replied, “as long you’re happy.”
Depp also disapproved that Rottenborn had read headlines about him from a series negative articles, some dating back as far as 2014.
“These are all hit bits. Depp stated that these are “dreck”.
Rottenborn created the articles in an attempt to show that Depp’s history of poor behavior was what caused his reputation to be damaged, and not the 2018 Post article.
Although the lawsuit against Depp is supposed to focus on whether he was defamed by the article, the majority of the trial has been focused on the ugly details of their brief marriage. Heard’s lawyers claim that Depp physically and sexually assaulted her. Depp’s denials are unfounded because he was frequently drunk and high to black out.
Depp attempted to explain his coarse language Monday afternoon. Depp said that he used figurative language a lot and made inside jokes with his friends. However, he added that he regretted that this kind of language should be spread all over the world like peanut butter.
He denied again that he had cut off his finger in a fight with Heard. He claims that the finger was cut off when Heard threw his vodka bottle at it.
He said, showing his right arm to the jury, “Why would you start lopping off my digits in your 50s?” “I cannot take responsibility for Little Richard, the chopped finger I now call Little Richard.”
Depp’s text messages to friends about his drinking, drug use, and interactions with his wife, as well his notes of contrition to Heard, her father, were all seen by the jury.
He described the accusations of drug addiction against him as “grossly embellished,” even though he admitted to taking many drugs.
Depp claims that the Post article caused an unfairly damaged reputation which made him a Hollywood outcast, and cost him his lucrative role in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie franchise. His career disaster is attributed to Depp, according to Heard’s lawyers.
