Content warning: the article contains descriptions of alleged physical and sexual abuse some readers may find disturbing.
Amber Heard is recounting the day Johnny Depp’s finger was cut off in Australia and alleging he sexually assaulted her with a liquor bottle the day before.
Depp is suing Heard for defamation for $50 million for alleged false domestic abuse claims she made against him that he says hurt his career. Heard is counter-suing Depp, also for defamation, for $100 million.
The trial, unfolding in a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, is being live-streamed on the Law & Crime Network YouTube channel.
Heard indicates she did not directly witness finger laceration occurring
Previous to Heard’s testimony, Depp had testified that his finger was lacerated due to Heard allegedly throwing a vodka bottle at his hand, which shattered, cutting the tip of his finger off. After this, he admitted to having a nervous breakdown, dipping the severed finger in paint, and writing messages on the walls and furniture.
In their opening statements, Heard’s lawyers maintained it was Depp who cut off his own finger. Though a text message and an audiotape appeared to show Depp admitting to chopping off his own digit, he maintains it was due to the bottle thrown at him by Heard and later lied to doctors about what happened to not put her name in the mix.
Heard’s account of what all unfolded in Australia is quite different, but her testimony seemed to indicate she did not directly witness Depp’s finger being cut off.
Heard alleged that after being raped by Depp with the liquor bottle the night before, she woke up in the late morning the next day and could hear Depp in the downstairs area of the house.
Heard alleged she soon began to see “incoherent” messages to her written in brown and navy blue paint, as well as dried blood, on the walls and furniture. Heard alleged that she also saw food around their entire home, including steak in her clothes.
Heard also denied writing any message on the mirror.
Heard alleged that as she descended down the staircase into the study, she began to see broken windows, glass, and blood on the floor and heard Marilyn Manson blasting.
“That’s where I found him, blaring his music. He was in the study,” she said.
Heard alleged she saw Depp’s hand wrapped in “bandana rags.”
“And I think he took them down and somehow showed me. And he said, ‘Look what you made me do. I did this for you,’ something to that effect.”
Heard continued, recounting the moment it allegedly dawned on her that Depp’s fingertip was sliced off:
“We didn’t have any sort of like coherent conversation, as you can imagine. I figured out he was missing a finger. He kind of held it up and I said, what did you do with…like what, what did you do…when…and I realized in my head that there have been many hours since this probably happened.”
Heard also alleged that while they were fighting the night before, prior to the alleged rape, Depp had thrown bottles at her, even holding a broken bottle up to her.
However, she said she didn’t remember the exact sequence of events that evening, even indicating she didn’t remember if she threw any bottles his way, but doubting it.
“I honestly don’t remember if I throw anything in his direction. I don’t think I did […] I wish I could remember the sequence, but it’s flashes.”
Heard alleges Depp raped her with a bottle and threatened to kill her
The bar area of the home is the place where Depp previously testified that Heard allegedly threw the vodka bottle at his hand, severing his fingertip. But it’s also the general location Heard alleged Depp raped her with a bottle.
Specifically, Heard alleged the sexual assault happened on a game table, which collapsed from his weight on top of her. She alleged the bottle used in the assault was a square-shaped liquor bottle.
Heard’s testimony of all that went down in Australia was given in-between her sobs as she recalled in excruciating detail the alleged physical abuse.
At one point during an argument, Heard alleged Depp shoved her so hard that she flew across the floor.
Heard alleged that at one point, when Depp was throwing bottles at her while she was standing behind the bar, she felt a bottle whizzing past her at a great velocity and felt it shatter behind her. Heard also alleged Depp slammed her around, punched a wall, and then ripped open her nightgown.
Heard alleged she believed Depp was punching her and felt immense pressure while the sexual assault was occurring.
Heard described Depp, during the alleged sexual assault, as “shoving” the bottle inside her over and over again.
Heard also said while the alleged sexual assault was occurring, he told her, “I will f**king kill you,” over and over again.
Heard continued describing the alleged sexual assault, saying she remembered hoping the bottle was not broken.
Heard alleged that while she was being assaulted, she was never “so scared in [her] life.”
Heard also alleged she had shoved Depp off of him at some point while he was in the midst of physically assaulting her. After that, Heard said he allegedly threw her across the room, landing on the game table.
On Wednesday, Heard testified that the trial thus far has been the most painful experience of her life. She also testified about a previous instance of alleged sexual abuse she said she experienced by Depp and shared a photo of what appeared to be her bruised arm that she alleged was caused by Depp’s physical abuse.
At the center of Depp’s current lawsuit is a Washington Post op-ed that Heard penned in 2018, in which she describes herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Heard doesn’t name Depp in the article, but Depp claims the piece nevertheless implied him as the abuser. Heard made previous domestic abuse allegations against Depp in 2016, something he says is referenced in the article.
Depp has described Heard’s descriptions of alleged drug and alcohol abuse as “grossly embellished.” While Heard maintains she was abused by Depp, Depp claims just the opposite: he was abused by her, and not the other way around.
Last week, Depp wrapped up his four-day-long testimony, with Tuesday representing Depp’s team resting its case.
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.
