Yahoo News Johnny Depp denies allegations of abuse from ex-wife Amber Heard
Updated – April 13, 2019: Johnny Depp has denied allegations of abuse made against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard in new court documents.
Heard has asked a judge to dismiss the $50 million defamation case Depp filed last month (via AP News) and provided new evidence of her allegations of domestic violence, including outlining new accusations and revealing the extent of Depp's behaviour.
"Johnny Depp physically and verbally abused Amber Heard," her attorney Eric George said in a statement. "Since their divorce, Mr Depp has continued to publicly harass Ms Heard, and attempted to gaslight the world by denying his abuse.
"It is long past time for Mr Depp's despicable conduct to end. Today, we presented to the court irrefutable evidence of Mr Depp's abuse. It is regrettable that it will take a judge to finally end the persistent harassment of Ms Heard by Mr Depp, but Ms Heard will take whatever action is necessary to vindicate the truth."
Depp has always denied Heard's abuse claims, and once again stood by his denials on Friday (April 12) following Heard's new motion filing in a statement via his attorney.
"A hoax confronted with the reality of evidence requires new lies to sustain itself," the statement read.
Depp's attorney has also said the new documents are being reviewed, while Heard's lawyers have argued that the lawsuit should be moved to Los Angeles (it was filed in Virginia) as that's where the relevant events took place.
Original – March 2, 2019: Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million over her past claims of domestic violence.
Heard accused the Pirates of the Caribbean actor of physical abuse when the couple split back in 2016, with Depp strenuously denying the claims. The Aquaman actress's allegations led to a protracted legal battle between the two, ending only a year ago with a $7 million settlement.
Then in December, Heard wrote a column for The Washington Post in which she said she "felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women" for speaking out about abuse.
Although Depp was not named in her column, his attorneys have now filed a $50 million defamation suit insisting that Heard "is not a victim of domestic abuse" but is instead "a perpetrator".
According to Deadline, Depp's legal filing insists that he "never abused Ms Heard" and alleges that she used the claims in order to further her career in Hollywood.
Heard's attorney responded by telling Digital Spy: "This frivolous action is just the latest of Johnny Depp’s repeated efforts to silence Amber Heard. She will not be silenced. Mr Depp’s actions prove he is unable to accept the truth of his ongoing abusive behaviour.
"But while he appears hell-bent on achieving self destruction, we will prevail in defeating this groundless lawsuit and ending the continued vile harassment of my client by Mr Depp and his legal team."
We have also reached out to Depp's spokesperson for additional comment.
At the time of her separation from Depp, Heard told us through her spokesperson that she would donate her settlement money to charities helping women and children impacted by domestic violence and serious illness.
"I know these organisations will put the funds to good use and look forward to continuing to support them in the future," she said. "Hopefully, this experience results in a positive change in the lives of people who need it the most."
Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Refuge (www.refuge.org.uk) or Women’s Aid (www.womensaid.org.uk). Both charities run the 24-hour, freephone National Domestic Violence Helpline, 0808 2000 247. The US National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
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