Johnny Depp Claims Ex Amber Heard 'Punched Him Twice in the Face' as She Denies Allegation
In a new court filing, Johnny Depp alleges Amber Heard assaulted him during the time they were married — and tells a different version of events from the night when Heard claims Depp threw an iPhone at her face.
The court documents, obtained by PEOPLE, were filed by Depp as part of a libel case in the U.K., the actor’s most recent legal effort to dispute accusations that he was violent towards Heard.
In the court papers, Depp, 55, claims Heard assaulted him after he arrived almost two hours late to his then-wife’s 30th birthday dinner on April 21, 2016. According to the document, Depp had a meeting with his business manager and accountants beforehand but kept Heard updated by text.
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Depp claims in the court filing that when he arrived, Heard was allegedly “cold towards” him and began “criticizing” him after the guests had left. The document claims Depp, who was “not drunk or high on drugs,” was reading in bed when Heard, who had been drinking, allegedly became “aggressive and violent, punching him twice in the face.” Depp allegedly responded by “grabbing [her] arms to stop her punching him again and told her to stop.” Depp claims he pushed her onto the bed and told her he was leaving and not to follow him.
In response to the claims, an attorney for Heard tells PEOPLE, “These allegations are totally false. One needs only read the recent Rolling Stone article about Mr. Depp to understand his state of mind. Mr. Depp is currently being sued in multiple venues, including for assaulting a location manager on the set of City of Lies. On many occasions, eyewitnesses observed the extent of the abuse Mr. Depp inflicted on Ms. Heard.” (Depp is currently being sued by a location manager from his upcoming movie City of Lies, who alleges the actor punched him on set. Director Brad Furman responded to reports of the altercation with a statement to Page Six, calling the alleged incident “exaggerated” and Depp “a consummate professional.”)
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Depp’s court filing also includes his version of events from the night of May 21, 2016, when Heard claimed Depp threw an iPhone at her face. The documents say Depp “tossed the phone on to the sofa and crossed the room away from Ms. Heard … The phone did not hit Ms. Heard on the face or elsewhere.”
The document also alleges that the cops who interviewed Heard “saw no injuries or bruising or swelling” and when Heard was asked what happened, she said “nothing.” Depp filed two depositions by police officers to support his claims.
Heard filed for divorce against Depp on May 23, 2016 and four days later requested a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him, which a judge granted. She submitted a photo that appeared to show her with a bruise under her eye as evidence and said that on May 21, 2016, Depp threw a cell phone at her, “striking my cheek and eye with great force.”
In her filing, she also claimed that on the night of her 30th birthday dinner, Depp arrived inebriated and high to the restaurant, and that their discussion after guests left turned violent. “Johnny grabbed me by the hair and violently shoved me to the floor,” Heard stated. “Johnny was also screaming and threatening me, taunting me to stand up.”
Depp is currently suing the British newpaper The Sun for libel for accusing Depp of being a “wife-beater” in an article written by Dan Wooton, whom Depp is also suing.
According to the documents, Depp is asking for ￡200,000 in addition to ￡10,528 in legal fees. He is also requesting the court assess any potential further damages and an injunction restraining the paper from “continuing to publish” accusations of spousal abuse.
Depp and Heard met in 2011 and wed in February 2015 on a private island. Heard filed for divorce after 15 months of marriage. The couple reached a settlement in August 2016 and were officially divorced in January 2017.
