Fighting With Amber Heard In Trial To Clear Name, Johnny Depp: I'm Obsessed With The Truth

Johnny Depp (Reuters via ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Johnny Depp took a stand on Tuesday, April 19 afternoon in the defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, saying he was focused on "clearing records" regarding allegations that he was involved in domestic violence.

"Truth is the only thing I'm interested in. Lies will get you nowhere, but lies are built on lies and built on lies, I'm obsessed with truth," Depp told Variety on Wednesday, April 20.

Under questioning from his own lawyer, Depp denied that he ever committed violence against Heard, or with other women. Heard accused Depp of hitting, strangling, and kicking him several times during their relationship. She also alleged that Depp sexually assaulted her in a brawl in Australia in 2015. Depp and Heard divorced in 2016.

In December 2018, Heard published an opinion piece in the Washington Post in which he alluded to the earlier allegations, though did not identify Depp by name. Depp sued him for $50 million.

"I feel it is my responsibility to not only defend myself in that case, but also defend my children," Depp said.

"I think it's evil that my kids have to go to school and friends or people at school approach them with the cover of the infamous People magazine with a dark bruise on Ms. Heard's face," he continued.

Depp said the allegations against him were vile and disturbing and were not based on any truth. "It's very strange when one day, you become Cinderella and in 0.6 seconds you become Quasimodo," said the "Minamata" star.

Depp also testified of the physical abuse he endured at the hands of his mother growing up in Kentucky, saying he would throw things at him and beat him with high heels.

He also spoke about his early relationship with Heard saying that his ex-wife seemed too good to be true.

"He's caring. He's loving. He's smart. He's kind. He's funny. He's understanding," said Depp.

The "Pirates of The Caribbean" cast added that they share a common interest in blues music and Heard often takes her shoes off when she returns home.

But within a year and a half, he said, "it was as if Heard had almost become someone else."

Depp also talked about his acting career, and about how he developed the character of Captain Jack Sparrow for the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film. He said he drew inspiration from the Bugs Bunny and Wile E. Coyote cartoons, and felt that cartoon characters could appeal to all ages.

"It's like making soup, you know. It's just ingredients. There's some Pepe Le Pew in there. There's some Keith Richards in there," said Depp.

After the success of the film, he said his fame became more intense. Fans would try to enter his property dressed as Jack Sparrow, and he felt he needed to hire more security to deal with the paparazzi.

Depp also delivered a text message that had been introduced in the trial, in which he spoke in abusive and vulgar language about Heard. He noted that he had been influenced by Hunter S. Thompson and Monty Python, and that he was prone to "dark humor."

"I'm embarrassed by some of the references that were made. I'm ashamed that in that moment, what I felt went into dark places," said Depp.

He was asked to address drug use, which also appeared repeatedly during the trial. Depp said he didn't use drugs to "party", but rather to get away.

"I have taken a substance to turn myself off, to turn myself off from ghosts, ghosts that have been with me since my youth," he said.

"It was basically self-medicating, one of those 'get me out of here' moments, where what you want to avoid is your own brain, your own head," Depp continued.

Depp did admit that he became dependent on Roxicodone - a prescription painkiller - after injuring himself while throwing a chair in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", the fourth film in the franchise.

He said he had been on the pill for four to five years, or more.

Depp and Hunter S. Thompson had been friends in the years before Thompson committed suicide in 2005. Depp spoke of Heard's first meeting during the casting of Depp's 2011 "Rum Diary," based on Thompson's novel.

"I think yes, that's the Chenault Hunter wants. That's him. He can definitely kill me," said Depp.

When they became a couple, Depp said they likened themselves to Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, a celebrity couple who also have a considerable age difference. They called each other "Steve" and "Slim", the characters Bogart and Bacall in the movie "To Have and Have Not".

"I acknowledge the fact that I am a rough parent, Bogey and he is this beautiful creature this amazing creature," he said.

While discussing their relationship, Depp said that it was good at first, but after a while, things started to unfold on their own. He said that Heard would react badly if he wanted to stay up late to watch TV and wanted to go to bed.

"I don't understand why I as a man in my 50s aren't allowed to sleep when I want to, but when he wants to," Depp said, quoted by Antara.

Depp's testimony will continue on Wednesday. The trial will last until the end of May, and Heard will also have the opportunity to testify in his defense.

Depp also testified at length in a defamation trial against Britain's The Sun newspaper in July 2020. Depp sued the publication after describing him as a "wife-beater". The judge ruled against Depp in the case, finding Heard's allegations "substantially true."