‘This Is Horrible for Me,’ Amber Heard Testifies in Johnny Depp’s Trial

Amber Heard entered the stand on Wednesday to begin her defamation trial against her ex-husband, Johnny Depp.

The 36-year-old Aquaman actress testified under oath in front of Depp, 58, in a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia. Heard’s testimony comes after Depp’s legal team spent three weeks presenting their case to the jury, calling witnesses — including Depp — to testify about how Heard was allegedly aggressive and manipulative toward Depp.

“I’m here because my ex-husband is suing me,” Heard said in her opening remarks, referring to Depp.

Heard said, “I struggle to find the words to convey how difficult this is.” “Sitting here for weeks and reliving everything is dreadful.”

“This is the most painful and terrible thing I’ve ever gone through, for sure,” she added, visibly upset.

The $50 million lawsuit against Heard was originally filed in 2019, but it was postponed owing to the pandemic. The complaint stems from an op-ed she penned for The Washington Post in December 2018 about surviving domestic violence, though she never named Depp.

Depp has stated that his “objective is the truth” as he works to clear his name in the trial, which is being broadcast live on many platforms. “Hopefully, after this case closes, I can move on, and so can Johnny,” Heard said in a statement before of the trial. I’ve always loved Johnny, and it hurts me a lot to have to relive the events of our old life together in front of the camera.

Heard and Depp met while filming The Rum Diary in 2011 and married in 2015. Heard filed for a domestic violence restraining order against him in May 2016, alleging him of beating her. Depp rejected the allegations, and the former couple reached an out-of-court settlement in August 2016.

During his evidence, Depp said that after Heard’s charges against him, he lost “nothing short of everything.” Depp has repeatedly stated under oath that he has never struck Heard or any woman.

Depp lost his widely publicised U.K. libel action against British newspaper The Sun for labelling him a “wife-beater” in November 2020. The outlet’s accusations were found to be “basically truthful” by the court, and Heard testified to back up the claims. The Pirates of the Caribbean star’s petition to reverse the decision was denied in March 2021.

Former marriage counsellor Dr. Laurel Anderson, one of Depp’s witnesses, previously testified in this court that Depp and Heard engaged in “mutual abuse” with each other. During an in-person meeting, Anderson stated she noticed “several” minor bruises on Heard’s face. Heard has acknowledged to punching Depp in audio recordings, and a security officer for Depp testified that he once saw Heard punch Depp.