Johnny Depp once again denied “outrageous, outrageous” claims of abuse brought by his former partner Amber Heard as he returned to the stand in his US defamation lawsuit.
The actor said he had told the truth and “spoken for what I had been reluctantly carrying on my back for six years”, and was at times dismayed during cross-examination with Ms. Heard’s legal team.
Mr Depp testified last month, but was recalled by his legal team last week to refute allegations made by Ms Heard during her own testimony.
The court heard that the details of her drug use and violence were exaggerated, and that the claim that she had not helped Ms Heard to land her role in the DC blockbuster Aquaman was “not at all true”.
Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard over a 2018 article in the Washington Post which her lawyers say falsely imply that they physically and sexually abused her while they were together.
He has denied all the allegations.
During her second round of direct evidence on Wednesday, she said: “It is insane to hear heinous allegations of violence, sexual violence that he has attributed to me, which (Ms. Heard) has accused me of.
“I don’t think it’s fun to isolate oneself and speak the truth, but there are times when one just has to because it has gotten out of control.
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Mr Depp is suing Ms Hurd over a 2018 article written in the Washington Post (Evelyn Hawkstein/ Associated Press)
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He said the allegations were: “ridiculous, outrageous, ridiculous, painful, barbaric, unimaginably cruel, cruel and all false.”
Mr Depp concluded: “No human being is perfect, certainly not, none of us.
“But I’ve never had sexual battery, physical abuse in my life.
“All these weird, outrageous stories are about waiting for me to do these things and live with it for six years and bring out the truth.”
He continued: “It’s not easy for any of us, I know it.
“But no matter what happens, I got here and I told the truth and spoke up for what I’ve been reluctantly carrying on my back for six years.”
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British supermodel Kate Moss said the actress never pushed her down the stairs, contrary to rumors referenced by Ms Heard in her own evidence (Evelyn Hawkstein/ Associated Press)
During his testimony, Mr. Depp clashed with Ms. Heard’s legal team over her objections and offered scathing remarks during the cross-examination by her lawyer, Benjamin Rottenborn.
When asked to give a simple “yes or no” answer to one of Mr Rottenborn’s questions, the actor replied “I can’t make you happy every time a yes or no.”
The actor denied that he had ever referred to the women as “truly mine”, but the court was later shown text messages that appeared to have been sent by Mr. Depp to his manager, which contained the phrase .
Mr Depp suggested that sometimes people’s personal phones could be taken and “spoofed” and the message could be later labeled as “bizarre”.
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During his testimony Mr Depp clashed with Ms Heard’s legal team over his objections and offered scathing remarks during his cross-examination (Evelyn Hawkstein/ Associated Press)
As Mr Rottenborn finished his question and returned to his seat, he smiled.
Earlier on Wednesday, the court heard brief testimony from Kate Moss, who said the actor “never” pushed her down the stairs, contrary to rumors Ms Heard referred to during her own testimony.
The British supermodel said that Mr Depp, with whom she was in a relationship from 1994 to 1998, had not “pushed, kicked or thrown” any ladders while they were together.
She appeared in Fairfax County District Court in Virginia on Wednesday to testify via videolink, which lasted barely two minutes.
Evidence from both Ms. Moss and Mr. Depp came in the final week of the trial, with a final debate expected on Friday.
