Amber Heard Lawyers Wrap Up Cross-examination of Johnny Depp

Actor Johnny Depp testifies at his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard Steve Helber POOL/AFP
Actor Johnny Depp testifies at his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard Steve Helber POOL/AFP
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Amber Heard Lawyers Wrap Up Cross-examination of Johnny Depp

Actor Johnny Depp testifies at his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard Steve Helber POOL/AFP
Actor Johnny Depp testifies at his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard Steve Helber POOL/AFP

Lawyers for Amber Heard on Monday ended their marathon grilling of Johnny Depp at his defamation trial against his former wife by playing audio recordings of heated arguments between the couple.

"Shut up fat ass," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star is heard telling Heard in one recording played for the seven-member jury hearing the case in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

In another audiotape, the 36-year-old Heard, who had a starring role in the movie "Aquaman," accuses Depp of having "beat the shit out of" her and throwing a "swing" at her, AFP reported.

Depp has denied ever being physically abusive towards Heard and has claimed repeatedly at the trial that she was the one who was frequently violent.

Depp filed a defamation suit against Heard over a column she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."

Heard never named Depp but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking $50 million in damages.

The Texas-born Heard countersued, asking for $100 million and claiming she suffered "rampant physical violence and abuse" at his hands.

- 'Hit pieces' -
Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard met in 2009 on the set of the film "The Rum Diary" and were married in February 2015. Their divorce was finalized two years later.

Heard's attorneys have alleged that Depp would become a physically and sexually abusive "monster" when he was drunk or on drugs, and pressed him extensively about his drug and alcohol use during his three days of cross-examination on the witness stand.

"If anyone had a problem with my drinking, at any time in my life, it was me," Depp said. "The only person I've ever abused in my life is myself."

Heard's lawyer Ben Rottenborn also sought to convince the jury that the accusations against Depp pre-dated the Washington Post column that Heard wrote.

Rottenborn noted that Heard had filed a temporary restraining order against Depp in Los Angeles in May 2016, citing abuse, and quoted headlines from a number of newspaper articles.

"These are all hit pieces," Depp replied.

Depp also played down some of the harsh language he used to describe Heard in text messages to various friends, including one that said "I can only hope that karma kicks in and takes the gift of breath from her."

"It's just irreverent and abstract humor," Depp said, and he was "ashamed that this has to be spread on the world like peanut butter."

- Severed finger -
After Depp finished testifying, his attorneys called as a witness Ben King, an Englishman who managed the home where the couple stayed in Australia during the 2015 filming of the fifth installment of the "Pirates" franchise.

Much of the testimony at the trial has revolved around an incident that occurred there in which the tip of the middle finger of Depp's right hand was severed.

Depp told the jury it happened when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him, smashing the finger against the edge of a bar in the house. Heard's lawyers suggested that Depp cut it with a knife in the kitchen.

King's testimony appeared to back up Depp's account.

The house manager said he found the severed fingertip in a tissue on the floor of the bar along with a broken bottle of Stolichnaya vodka.

He said a "big chunk" of the marble bartop had been broken off.

King said that while he had witnessed frequent arguments between the couple during their stay in Australia, and another in London, he had never seen them be violent.

Testifying last week, Depp said the allegations that he was a "drunken, cocaine-fueled menace who beat women" have cost him "everything."

The actor said that a "couple of days" after the Post column appeared, Disney announced he would no longer appear as Captain Jack Sparrow in the blockbuster "Pirates" franchise

Depp filed the defamation complaint in the United States after losing a separate libel case in London in November 2020 that he brought against The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater."



Olivia Rodrigo, John Cena and Other Celebrities Make Their Way to Wimbledon’s Royal Box

Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)
Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)
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Olivia Rodrigo, John Cena and Other Celebrities Make Their Way to Wimbledon’s Royal Box

Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)
Singer Olivia Rodrigo, left, Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley, center, and wrestler John Cena sit in the Royal Box at Centre Court during the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (AP)

Olivia Rodrigo. John Cena. Dave Grohl. Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas. There was as much star power - or maybe even more? - in the Royal Box at Wimbledon as there was down below on the Centre Court grass on Wednesday.

And that was on an afternoon that featured two-time defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz, No. 1-ranked woman Aryna Sabalenka, and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain all winning matches at the grasscourt Grand Slam tournament's main stadium to reach the third round.

"It's so special in the Royal Box to have those kind of people in there. It definitely adds a bit of pressure, I guess, if you look up and you kind of recognize (them)," Raducanu said. "That's why I try and stay with my eyes on the court as much as possible. Only after, you kind of look up and take it all in, if they're still there."

The seats in the Royal Box behind one of the baselines are by invitation only, and there was quite a list of celebrities on hand for Day 3 of competition.

"I was trying not to look today," Sabalenka said about the collection of boldfaced names, explaining that she might be distracted while competing. "I was just trying to focus on my game. Later on, I'm going to open the social media (and ask), 'OK, who was there?'"

Well, Aryna, here's a rundown:

Rodrigo, fresh off headlining at music festival Glastonbury while on tour for her GUTS album, sat next to Cena, the professional wrestler and movie star. Rodrigo chatted at one point with former England soccer coach Roy Hodgson (the current person in that job, Thomas Tuchel, also was in attendance).

Grohl, a member of the rock bands Foo Fighters and Nirvana, made an appearance, too, as did the married couple Chopra and Jonas. Hollywood's Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, who also are married, were on the Royal Box list, along with actor Dominic Cooper.

Others taking in a day of tennis at the most famous court in the world included British athletes from other sports, such as Olympic gold medalists Sophie Bray (field hockey) and Tom Daley (diving), and Paralympic gold medalist William Ellard (swimming).

Oh, and there was actual British royalty there Wednesday: Princess Michael of Kent.