The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial continued on Tuesday, April 19 with Depp taking to the stand to testify in the $100-million lawsuit.
As the Daily Mail reports, Depp — “speaking in a low voice with halting speech and measured words — attempted to counter Heard’s claims that he was abusive during their marriage by describing the abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of his mother, Betty Sue Palmer, while growing up in Kentucky.
Describing Palmer, who died in 2016, as “very unpredictable,” he described incidents of both verbal and physical abuse, claiming that she took “any opportunity to be as cruel as anyone could be.”
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According to Depp, this included being struck on the head by an ashtray Palmer threw at him, and being beaten with her high-heeled shows, telephone receivers or any other object that was “handy” at the time.
“In our house we were never exposed to any type of safety or security, the only thing to do was stay out of the line of fire,” he said while under oath.
“When she was going to get riled up and somebody was going to get it and generally it was me,” Depp continued.
“Physical violence, physical abuse. That was a constant,” Depp added. “We were all somewhat shell-shocked.”
After detailing more examples of the childhood abuse he allegedly experienced, Depp’s testimony turned to his ex-wife.
“About six years ago Miss Heard made some quite heinous and disturbing criminal acts against me that were not based in any species of truth. It was a complete shock that it would, it just didn’t need to go in that direction as nothing of the kind had ever happened,” Depp stated.
“Through the relationship there were arguments and things of that nature but never did I myself reach the point of striking Miss Heard in any way nor have I ever struck any woman in my life,” he added.
“Truth is the only thing I’m interested in,” Depp insisted. “Lies will get you nowhere, but lies build upon lies and build upon lies. I’m obsessed with the truth.”
Prior to Depp’s testimony, the jury heard from the actor’s friend Keenan Wyatt, who spoke under oath about a May 2014 flight from Boston to L.A. when Depp was allegedly drunk and abusive towards Heard.
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Wyatt offered a very different account, claiming that Heard had been “giving Johnny the cold shoulder, being quiet and seemed pouty. At one point I went up to her and said he cares about you and all of a sudden she snapped, how dare you talk to me, get away from me. I went back to my seat and minded my own business.”
Added Wyatt: “She was abruptly loud. It was a quiet plane, all of a sudden it got very loud. Johnny had said something to her like don’t talk to my friend that way. I just stayed in my seat.” Wyatt also stated he never witnessed Depp acting violent toward Heard, and had “never seen Johnny be violent towards anybody.”