Johnny Depp takes stand again, says listening to Amber Heard's testimony has been 'insane'

Johnny Depp was back on the witness stand Wednesday in his libel suit against ex-wife Amber Heard.

Depp testified as a rebuttal witness — he already testified for four consecutive days earlier in the six-week trial.

On Wednesday, he disputed a claim made by Heard that Depp had nothing to do with getting her a role in the superhero blockbuster "Aquaman." When Heard testified, she pushed back on a question from Depp's lawyers insinuating Depp got her the role.

Depp, though, said that after Heard auditioned for the role, he talked to the studio on her behalf.

"Ultimately she did get the job, so hopefully, I suppose, I had curbed their worries to some degree," he said.

Depp also said he had been completely unaware of statements made by a former lawyer, Adam Waldman, calling Heard's claims of abuse a hoax. Those statements by Waldman are the basis of a counterclaim Heard filed against Depp. Heard's lawyers have said Waldman made those statements in league with Depp, something Depp denies.

Previously: Warner Bros. executive testifies on Amber Heard's role in 'Aquaman 2,' Heard rests case in defamation suit

On the stand, Depp also answered a question about what it has been like for him to listen to Heard's testimony during the trial.

"Insane," he said, "It's insane to hear heinous accusations of violence, sexual violence … that she's accusing me of. (It's) horrible, ridiculous, humiliating, ludicrous, painful, savage, unimaginably brutal, cruel."

Depp added that "no human being is perfect" and once again denied the allegations.

"I have never in my life committed sexual battery, physical abuse, all these outlandish, outrageous stories of me committing these things," he said. "And living with it for six years, and waiting to be able to bring the truth out."

He said that “no matter what happens I did get here and I did tell the truth and I have spoken up for what I've been carrying on my back, reluctantly, for six years."

Depp was cross-examined later Wednesday by Heard's attorney J. Benjamin Rottenborn.

The lawyer walked Depp through some graphic texts he allegedly sent to friends, including one to his former agent Christian Carino, which read in part: "(Heard) is begging for total humiliation … I’m so (expletive) happy she wants to go fight this out. She will hit the wall hard … I can only hope karma kicks in and takes the gift of breath from her." Heard teared up in the courtroom while the text was read.

When Depp's attorney later asked the actor to explain what he was trying to convey in the text, he said he was "very angry."

"When you're accused of horrific acts and things that you have not done," he said, "Some very ugly things that are going out there into the world about you on a nonstop basis by Ms. Heard and her team, you have a tendency, as you know, to get very very irate and angry, not to the point that you go out and hurt someone … but you could get irate."

Kate Moss testifies in libel trial that Johnny Depp 'never pushed' her down 'any stairs'

Also Wednesday, Depp's ex-girlfriend, model Kate Moss, virtually took the stand to testify as a rebuttal witness on behalf of Depp.

During Heard's earlier testimony, the actress recalled a 2015 fight near a staircase in which she said she hit Depp in the face out of fear he would hurt her sister, Whitney Heard Henriquez.

The actress said she was "instantly" reminded of Kate Moss at that moment. Moss, who dated Depp in the '90s, has never accused the actor of abuse, but Heard previously claimed during their 2020 U.K. trial that two people told her Depp once pushed Moss down the stairs.

Moss denied the claims in testimony, which lasted under five minutes.

Ellen Barkin testifies: Actress claims ex Johnny Depp was a controlling partner, 'always drinking'

The model recalled an incident in Jamaica where she and Depp were leaving a room after a rainstorm. Moss testified that Depp left the room first and she followed.

"I slid down the stairs and hurt my back and I screamed because I didn't know what happened to me and I was in pain," she testified. "He came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical care."

Moss added: "He never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs."

After Heard's mention of rumors Depp pushed Moss down the stairs, his legal team appeared to celebrate. Some legal experts believe their reaction was because Heard referencing past instances of alleged abuse in this case opens the door for Depp's team to do the same – and Heard has prior domestic abuse charges against her.

Johnny Depp, Amber Heard libel trial: Everything that's happened so far

Johnny Depp, Amber Heard FAQs:Your lawsuit questions, answered

Depp is suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." His lawyers say he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.

Depp has denied he ever struck Heard and says she was the abuser in the relationship. Heard has testified about more than a dozen separate instances of physical abuse she says she suffered at Depp's hands.

A verdict in the trial is expected to be determined on Friday.

Expert testimony: Hand surgeon says Johnny Depp's severed finger story is unlikely

Contributing: Naledi Ushe, Maria Puente, Amy Haneline, USA TODAY; Matthew Barakat, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard trial: Actor retakes stand, Kate Moss speaks