Amber Heard And Johnny Depp Share A Strained Moment In Court Without Speaking A Word
By now, it seems like the entire world is engrossed in the courtroom drama unfolding in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation case. Depp is suing his ex-wife for $50 million over an op-ed piece she wrote for the Washington Post, in which she claimed she "became a public figure representing domestic abuse." Although the article never named Depp, the actor is claiming Heard's claim cost him big time in his career, or $22.5 million to be exact, when he was fired from the sixth "Pirates of the Caribbean film, per Variety. Heard is in the midst of countersuing Depp for "[attempting] to destroy and defame" her to the press.
Recently, Depp took to the witness stand to present his side of the case. Depp testified that he had never "struck a woman in [his] life" and that he was "obsessed with the truth," according to NBC News. He also claimed that Heard became a different person within a year-and-a-half and alleged that Heard was the abuser in the relationship.
On May 5, it was Heard's turn to take to the witness stand, and while leaving, the former couple came face-to-face in a tense moment.
Amber heard physically recoiled at Johnny Depp in the courtroom
In the latest news from the courtroom, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp almost crossed paths in a particularly hard-to-watch moment. As Heard was walking away from the witness stand, Depp got up and walked in the same direction, causing her to take a step back and physically shudder at his approach, per Daily Mail. Heard had a frightened look on her face as she distanced herself from her ex-husband, who was ushered away by courtroom officials. Depp, who the Daily Mail noted is partially sighted, then walked away with a shrug.
This tense stand-off comes moments after Heard provided her tearful testimony to the court on May 5. Heard recounted moments of alleged physical abuse from Depp, such as a March 2015 altercation in Australia, in which Depp allegedly had Heard "by the neck," Deadline reported. She detailed another fight between the two that occurred in December of that year when she was allegedly head-butted by her then-husband. "Pounding the back of the head I could just hear him saying he was going to kill me, he sounded like an animal in pain," she claimed, per Deadline.
Since her testimony, both parties have released statements, in which Depp's team called Heard's testimony "the performance of her life." "While Ms. Heard's stories have continued to grow new and convenient details, Mr. Depp's recollections have remained exactly the same," a spokesperson for Depp told People. Meanwhile, her spokesperson responded, "As evidenced by the statement just released, Mr. Depp's defamation claim is falling apart so rapidly that his counsel are turning from prosecutor to persecutor."
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.