Johnny Depp questioned about past texts during cross examination in Amber Heard defamation case

By Marianne Garvey

Johnny Depp has concluded his third day of testimony in a Fairfax, Virginia court in his defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Under cross-examination by Heard’s lawyer Ben Rottenborn on Thursday morning, evidence of text messages from Depp to some of his friends, including Marilyn Manson and actor Paul Bettany, were introduced that referenced his drug use during the time he was in a relationship with Heard. Other messages included references of violence toward Heard.

Before some exchanges were read in court, Depp said he “wasn’t proud of any of the language” that he used in the text messages.

Recordings of Depp threatening to self harm were also played. The jury will return on Monday, at which time the cross examination will continue.

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote about her experience with domestic abuse. She did not name Depp in the piece, but he claims it cost him lucrative film work in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.

“I would be a real simpleton to not think that there was an effect on my career based on Ms. Heard’s words, whether they mentioned my name or not,” Depp testified Wednesday.

In 2016, Heard alleged Depp bruised her face after throwing a phone at her. Depp denied the allegation and was not charged with any crime.

Depp acknowledged in his testimony this week that he and Heard had arguments during their relationship but said, “Never did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way nor have I ever struck any woman in my life.”

He testified Wednesday that his finger was severed by shattered glass after Heard allegedly threw a bottle of vodka at him during one argument in 2015.

Heard has denied that claim.

Late in Wednesday’s session, evidence was introduced by Rottenborn to suggest Disney had made the decision to drop Depp from “Pirates” before Heard’s 2018 article.

Heard has not yet taken the stand.

The former couple married in 2015 and divorced in 2016.

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