(CNN) — Amber Heard She finished testifying in direct examination in the $50 million defamation case with her ex-husband Johnny Depp on Monday, following a week-long lull in proceedings.
Depp’s lawyers began questioning Heard on Monday followingnoon.
Depp accused Heard of defaming him in a 2018 opinion piece written for the newspaper. The Washington Post. In the article, which was published regarding two years following they divorced, Heard described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Although Depp was not named in the article, he claims that it cost him lucrative roles.
Heard filed a counterclaim for $100 million.
“Every word was true”
Heard testified Monday regarding the op-ed at the center of the case. She said that she did not want Depp’s name to appear in the article, originally written by the ACLU, but that she agreed to have it published in her name because she believed in the need to raise awareness of the issues covered in the article. opinion.
“Every word is true,” Heard said.
Amber Heard speaks with her attorney Elaine Bredehoft in the Fairfax County Circuit Courtroom on Monday.
Heard stated that she had no part in writing the headlines that eventually made it online and in print, but said she was proud of the version that appeared in the paper.
the end of their marriage
Heard testified that Depp’s drug use and alleged physical abuse led her to file for divorce from him in 2016, following just over a year of marriage.
“I knew if I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t survive, literally. I was so scared it was going to end really badly for me, and I really didn’t want to leave him. I loved him so much,” Heard said. “Violence was now the norm and not the exception.”
Heard also testified regarding why he didn’t cooperate with police when they came to the couple’s Los Angeles home shortly following an altercation between the two in May 2016.
“Why didn’t you want to cooperate with the police?” Heard’s attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, asked.
“Because I wanted to protect Johnny. I didn’t want him to get arrested. I didn’t want this to come out. I didn’t want him to get in trouble,” Heard said.
“I want to keep going forward”
Heard also testified regarding his countersuit, which revolves around three statements Depp’s lawyer made, the first in 2019, in reference to Heard’s claims of abuse, each time calling her claims a “hoax.”
“Unfortunately, this is all real,” Heard said. “Johnny and I lived through this. We put up with this. I lived through this and narrowly survived, but I survived.”
Heard testified that her scenes in the upcoming “Aquaman” sequel, titled “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” have been cut since those statements were made.
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in court on Monday
“I fought really hard to stay in the movie,” Heard said. “They gave me a script and they gave me new versions of it. They basically cut a lot of my part.”
CNN has reached out to Warner Bros, the studio behind the “Aquaman” franchise, for comment. (Both CNN and Warner Bros. are part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)
Heard stated that she did not want to be part of the trial that has forced her to relive painful and personal experiences that she had tried to keep private.
“I have a baby; I want to move on. I want Johnny to move on too,” Heard said. “I just want him to leave me alone.”
Cross-examination begins
During the beginning of the cross-examination, Camille Vasquez, Depp’s lawyer, began to question Heard regarding her allegations of abuse, sometimes zooming in on photos taken of the actress during her public appearances following different assumptions. physical abuse incidents and noting that Heard had no visible injuries.
Heard has accused Depp of physically and sexually abusing her throughout their relationship. Depp has denied hitting Heard during her testimony. Depp’s legal team has accused Heard of being the abuser in the relationship.
“Mr. Depp is your victim, isn’t he?” Vasquez asked Heard.
“No ma’am,” Heard replied.
Vasquez recalled multiple incidents in which Heard accused Depp of punching her, sometimes in the face, while wearing heavy rings. Heard testified that while the couple was in Russia in June 2013, Depp allegedly punched her in the face so hard that she thought she had broken her nose and that there was her blood “everywhere.” Vásquez took pictures of Heard taken during the trip and following the alleged incident and questioned the actress regarding it.
“You don’t have any visible injuries on your face, do you?” Vasquez asked.
“None that can be seen,” Heard replied.
“Even though Mr. Depp hit her in the face so hard her nose bled?” Vasquez said.
“He did,” Heard replied.
Before the court concluded for today, Vasquez questioned Heard regarding the charitable donations he promised to make with his $7 million divorce settlement, which Depp has already paid Heard in full.
Heard has previously stated that she has not followed through on monetary promises she made to the ACLU and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles because Depp sued her.
“Sitting here today, Mrs. Heard, you still haven’t donated the $7 million divorce settlement to charity, have you?” Vasquez asked.
Heard began to reply: “Wrong. I have pledged the full $7 million to charity and I intend to deliver…”
Vasquez abruptly interrupted Heard. “Ms. Heard, that was not my question. Please try to answer my question.”
“As of today, haven’t you paid $3.5 million of your own money to the ACLU?” Vasquez asked Heard.
“I haven’t,” Heard replied.
Vasquez continued, “And to this day he hasn’t paid $3.5 million of his own money to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles?”
“I haven’t done it yet; Johnny sued me,” Heard replied.
The questioning is expected to continue Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET.
Closing arguments in the trial are expected to begin around May 27, followed by jury deliberations.
