Amber Heard tells court Johnny Depp struck her when on drugs 

Amber Heard tells court Johnny Depp struck her when on drugs 

Amber Heard has told a court that her ex-husband, Johnny Depp struck her when under the influence of illicit drugs. 

Ms Heard took to the witness stand yesterday to testify against her ex-partner, Johnny Depp in a defamation trial watched by millions. 

Mr Depp is suing Ms Heard over a domestic abuse story published in The Washington Post. 

Throughout Ms Heard’s testimony, she alleged she had been subjected to a pattern of violence, beginning in 2012, at the hands of Johnny Depp. 

Shortly after taking the stand, she said: 

“I struggle to find the words to describe how painful this is… this is horrible for me to sit here for weeks and relive everything” 

The 36-year-old actress detailed her relationship with Mr Depp over several hours of testimony in Virginia yesterday (4 May), beginning with her initial interactions with the “charismatic” Pirates of the Caribbean star whilst filming The Rum Diary in Puerto Rico. 

She told the jury they “fell in love” on the film’s press tour in 2011, when it was released. 

However, the happiness during the early stages of their relationship was soon tarnished after Mr Depp began verbally abusing her in 2012, the same year the alleged domestic abuse started. 

Ms Heard said she laughed as Mr Depp explained one of his tattoos, located on his arm, which said “Wino”, during an emotional speech. 

“I laughed because I thought he was joking, and he slapped me across the face”, she said. 

“I just stared at him kind of laughing, thinking that he was going to start laughing too, to tell me it was a joke”, Ms Heard added. 

“But he didn’t. He slapped me again. I will never forget it.” 

However, when the 58-year-old actor took to the stand during the first week of the trial, he denied the incident even happened, suggesting the claims “never made any sense” to him. 

Whilst describing her ex-husband as a man who could be warm and kind, Ms Heard suggested Mr Depp would fly into random fits of rage when under the influence of drugs and alcohol. 

The 36-year-old added he would slap and “backhand” her after he became angry. 

“He’d come back clean and sober and he’d be extra nice and extra apologetic and we’d be good again” she added. 

Yesterday marked the first day of Ms Heard’s testimony with the trial expected to last at least another month. 

(Image: amberheard/ Instagram)