Amber Heard denies fabricating injuries in Depp libel trial

LONDON — Amber Heard spent most of her second day of evidence in Johnny Depp’s libel case against a British tabloid dismissing accusations that she fabricated allegations of domestic violence against her ex-husband.

Taking to the witness box Tuesday at the High Court in London, the actress faced a barrage of questions over alleged incidents that are central to The Sun’s labeling of Depp in an April 2018 article as a “wife beater.”

Depp, 57, is suing The Sun’s publisher, News Group Newspapers, and the paper’s executive editor, Dan Wootton, over the article. The Hollywood star strongly denies abusing Heard and was at the court to hear his ex-wife.

His lawyer, Eleanor Laws, sought to show inconsistencies in Heard’s allegations, accusing her of weaving a “web of lies.”

“You’re making this up as you go along at times,” Laws said to Heard, to which the 34-year-old actress replied: “All this happened to me and I remember it.”

Laws made much of a series of video clips from an elevator at the couple’s Los Angeles apartment building that she claimed showed no evidence of any injuries on Heard’s face after an incident on May 21, 2016, which ended up with police arriving on the scene. Laws also wondered why others in the building did not notice injuries in the days after.

The actress has alleged that Depp threw a phone at her “like he was a baseball pitcher,” hitting her on the right cheek and eye.

Heard said she wears makeup when leaving home that could have camouflaged any injury.

“Of course I had an injury,” she said.

Laws also questioned Heard about text messages she sent Depp in the days after the alleged incident and about why she hadn’t filed a restraining order immediately.

“I thought it could stay under wraps for a few days and those few days were a precious few days in the hardest time of my life, and presumably difficult for Johnny as well, and I would have done anything to have those few days of privacy,” Heard said.

Heard also denied she had an “illicit relationship” with anyone during her time with Depp, specifically with either Tesla CEO Elon Musk or actor James Franco. “Not that that matters much,” Heard said.

Laws read out text messages on May 22, 2016, in which Heard allegedly tells Musk she is going to obtain a restraining order against Depp, and the billionaire offers to “arrange 24/7 security.”

Musk allegedly said the offer would stand, “even if you never wanted to see me again … anyway, sorry for being an idiot. The radio silence hurts a lot. It only matters because I really like you.”

On Monday, during her first day of testimony, Heard accused her ex-husband of abusing her both physically and verbally while he was allegedly bingeing on alcohol and drugs, claiming that at various times during their tempestuous relationship she feared for her life.

Depp and Heard met on the set of the comedy “The Rum Diary,” released in 2011. They married in Los Angeles in February 2015. Heard filed for divorce the following year, and it was finalized in 2017.

In the first nine days of testimony at the High Court, judge Andrew Nicol heard from Depp and from several current or former employees who backed his version of events. In his testimony, Depp said he was the one being abused by Heard and that she had a history of being violent against him.

Via audio recordings of the couple discussing various incidents played in court, Depp’s lawyer sought to show that Heard admitted she had been violent against Depp. Heard said any contact was purely self-defence.

“That is what happens when you are in this situation, that’s the truth,” she said. “I knew better than to fight with him about the details of the fight, and what he perceived as injuries to him. My job was to say sorry and get him on track, and move on to bigger things.”

She said the first time she struck Depp was in March 2015 but that she only did so to defend her sister, Whitney, for fear he would throw her down the stairs as she alleged he had done to model Kate Moss when they dated in the 1990s.

Heard said the “information” was “fresh” in her mind at the time of the alleged incident and that she reacted “in a flash” to protect her sister.

Depp’s counsel wondered why Heard had not mentioned the Moss allegation in her deposition.

“I’ve not had the liberty of time or space or energy even to list every thought that crossed my mind,” Heard said.

Heard denied the allegation made in court in the first week of the trial that she, or one of her friends, defecated on the couple’s bed the morning after her 30th birthday party in April 2016.

“That’s absolutely disgusting,” Heard said. “I can’t imagine what kind of human being would have a sense of humour like that, other than Johnny, but I don’t think that’s funny, I think it’s horrific.”

Heard suggested the feces came from one of their Yorkshire Terriers, Pistol and Boo, but that Boo had had issues ever since he had allegedly eaten some of Depp’s marijuana as a puppy, or as she phrased it “since the weed.”

In written testimony released to the court, Heard said that at various times during their relationship she endured “punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking.” She said some incidents were “so severe” she was “afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far.”

According to Heard, Depp “explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship.” She said he blamed his actions on “a self-created third party” that he referred to as “the monster.”

Heard’s testimony is expected to last for four days, through Thursday.

Pan Pylas, The Associated Press