Violent video footage shown as second week of Johnny Depp’s US lawsuit concludes
Members of the jury were also shown audio and abusive text messages sent by the actor.
The second week of Johnny Depp’s defamation lawsuit against his former wife Amber Heard concluded with members of the jury being shown video and audio of the actor’s allegedly violent episodes.
Mr Depp was seen to be slamming kitchen cabinets closed and pouring himself a large glass of wine in one clip before appearing to become irate at being filmed by Ms Heard.
The actor, wearing a feathered hat and dark sunglasses, also appears to hurt himself as he swears and kicks out at pieces of furniture.
Mr Depp, who denies physically abusing Aquaman star Ms Heard, on Thursday admitted he had “assaulted a couple of cabinets”.
In another audio recording, Ms Heard can be heard repeatedly saying “please don’t hurt yourself” as Mr Depp threatens to cut himself with a knife.
The evidence was produced on day three of Mr Depp’s testimony at the trial in Virginia, during which a series of graphic and violent text messages he had sent about Ms Heard were also shown to the court.
In a 2013 text conversation Mr Depp said to actor Paul Bettany: “Let’s burn Amber.
“Let’s drown her before we burn her. I will f*** her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.”
Much of the evidence heard so far at the trial has made reference to his use of substances while the two were together, which Ms Heard’s lawyers argued had triggered violent episodes.
Mr Depp previously testified that Ms Heard’s behaviour had “inspired” him to use substances and said she had not been “supportive” of his attempts at sobriety.
In a later conversation with Mr Bettany, also shown to the court, the actor said he had drunk “all night” before picking up Ms Heard to fly to Los Angeles.
“Ugly, mate… No food for days… Powders… Half a bottle of Whiskey, a thousand red bull and vodkas, pills, 2 bottles of Champers on plane,” the message read.
Before showing the video, audio and text messages, Ms Heard’s lawyer Benjamin Rottenborn asked Mr Depp if he lived up to the standards of a “southern gentleman”.
“When you have deep, deep roots in the south… you’re raised to be a southern gentleman, that is to say when chivalry was still alive and allowed,” Mr Depp responded.
“I believe I do (live up to the standards), I have certainly done my best all my life.”
He later admitted that he had experienced times where he had “strayed” from such standards and said that it was a “normal, primal” thing to have done.
The actor is suing Ms Heard for libel over a 2018 article she wrote in The Washington Post, which his lawyers say falsely implies he physically and sexually abused her.
On Wednesday, Mr Rottenborn reminded Mr Depp that the lawsuit was not being brought over anything the actress herself had done prior to writing the article.
Mr Depp will continue giving evidence when the trial at Fairfax County District Court continues on Monday.
