Image Source: Marca 

Johnny Depp returned to the stand on Monday at Fairfax County Court, Virginia, in a defamation trial against Amber Heard. Johnny Depp sued ex-wife Amber Heard after she wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in 2018 and described herself as a survivor of domestic violence.

Johnny Depp has alleged that the post and the accusations by Amber Heard have unfairly ruined his reputation, which is why the industry has decided to outcast him. He was dropped out of a couple of projects he was working on, including the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Johnny Depp’s lawyer, Camille Vasquez, questioned Johnny Depp about how he felt the first time he read the op-ed written by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, to which he said that he was hurt. Johnny added that there was a feeling of blinding hurt like somebody had hit him in the back of the head with a 2X4 and mentioned that he could not speak about it before that because if he had been interviewed about it, it would have turned into a hit piece. The actor shared that his mouth was shut and that was when he thought that he had to take some action.

The court had also heard an audio clip that was recorded after the former couple’s divorce in 2017 in which Amber Heard can be heard saying that he should tell the world that he is a victim of domestic violence and he should see how many people believe him and side with him. Johnny Depp said in the court that he is the victim of domestic violence! 

Amber Heard accused Johnny Depp of domestic abuse in 2016 and obtained a restraining order, but they settled it during their divorce. During the trial on Monday, Johnny Depp mentioned that he was extremely confused about why Amber Heard wanted to meet him in San Francisco after filing a domestic violence restraining order against him. He explained that he was touring with his band at the time and met her with the hope that she would retract her lies, but added that she was not ready to do that, so that confused him more.

Johnny Depp explained that he had no idea why she wanted to meet and he was really at the end of his patience, so he carried a knife in his pocket and took it out and said to her that she could cut him if she wanted. He asked her if she wanted his blood and if she did, she could take it because that was the only thing she did not have. He added that if she was not going to do it, he would have done it because that’s where his mind was at the end of its brokenness.

Camille Vasquez also questioned him about his explicit text exchange with actor Paul Bettany in which the two actors talked about drowning and burning Amber Heard. Johnny Depp mentioned that Paul Bettany and he met while he was filming The Tourist in Venice, and he was born and bred in the United Kingdom, where he has that English dry, obtuse, abstract sense of humor, which is why they both connected.

Johnny mentioned that the text messages that were read aloud in the courtroom were never intended to be real and apologized for the language used in the text. He mentioned that the part where they talked about burning Amber Heard was directly from Monty Python in the sketch about burning witches and drowning witches, and it was a movie he’d watched while growing up, and added that the texts were irreverent and abstract humor. Johnny Depp mentioned that Amber Heard despised Paul Bettany because they had both become such great friends that Paul would take all of Johnny’s attention and not Amber.

Johnny explained that Amber Heard had gotten mean and loud at first and then Paul Bettany’s 18-year-old son who was getting ready to go, and he described him as a bright and very brilliant kid who voiced his opinion over something and the actress demeaned him to the point that he walked away with tears in his eyes. Johnny added that then he told Amber that her behavior was not acceptable and she could not always be right.

In the infamous "losing a fingertip" incident, Johnny Depp texted his doctor that he had cut his finger off after an incident in Australia (Amber Heard threw two vodka bottles at him). The actor denied that he had not cut his finger himself by explaining that he had been a guitarist since he was 12 and music was the only way he could find peace in his life, so why would he cut his finger off to ruin the opportunity to play guitar, his only escape?

The actor said that Mr. Ben Rottenborn suggests that he is a walking tantrum, but why didn’t he start chopping his fingers off when he was younger and start doing it when he knew that it was the only good thing in his life except for his children? He said that if he had lost the finger on his left hand, he’d have to learn how to play the guitar all over again.

At one point, audio that was heard also mentioned Amber Heard telling Johnny Depp that she does not know how to get her reputation back, and Johnny Depp replied that they could write a letter saying that they are going to take it out of the public eye and that the media has created a hateful storm for them, which is sickening and they love each other. Johnny Depp is also heard stating to the actress that the abuse thing, they have got to deal with it, and asked her why she put it out there, to which she replied that he forced her before adding and clarifying that his team forced her to put it out there by going on the offense.

Johnny Depp’s cross-examination is over, and the trial is expected to last up to six weeks. Amber Heard has yet to take a stand.