Johnny Depp will testify on behalf of himself on Tuesday, Deadline has reported. The actor’s statement will be heard amidst an ongoing trial after Depp filed a defamation suit against ex-wife Amber Heard over an op-ed piece from 2018.
Depp will continue on the stand on Wednesday for cross-examination, the report added.
Heard filed for divorce in 2016 alleging domestic abuse at the hands of Depp. The couple has been engaged in a $50 million legal battle which has culminated in the ongoing trial.
The first day of the trial that started on April 11, saw Heard’s team allege Depp of sexual assault. Depp’s side continued to deny the allegations and instead, claimed that the actor’s film career was jeopardised due to Heard’s allegations which they called a hoax.
The latest developments include statements from two medical practitioners, namely, Dr David Kipper and Debra Lynn Lloyd.
As of Monday, both Kipper and Lloyd testified that although they found Depp injured, once, they never saw any physical injuries on Heard.
Kipper recalled an instance from 2015, when Depp suffered an injury while he was in Australia for the shoot of his film Pirates of the Caribbean. Both Kipper and Lloyd were called to Depp’s residence after the incident which had left Depp with a severed fingertip. Kipper said that he claeaned the wound before taking Depp to the Emergency Room.
He added that there was broken glass and blood around the house, and that the chef had found the severed fingertip in the kitchen.
“He said he found it in the kitchen area,” Kipper said as he testified on video.
Lloyd confirmed the same, and added that Depp had to undergo a surgery after the fingertip was recovered.
She further testified that she had found Depp’s house to be a mess, upon her arrival. “I remember there was some writing on the wall and I remember a smashed TV.”
Lloyd also acknowledged that she heard conflicting accounts of what had transpired. “I had heard that Amber threw a bottle of vodka at him, I had heard that he slammed it with a phone.”
It is to be noted that a similar statement was made by another witness, Sean Bett, who is a part of Depp’s security team and testified after Lloyd. However, Bett was cut off by Judge Penney Azcarate, and was asked to not indulge in statements that he gathered from hearsay.
Both Kipper and Lloyd were brought in to help Depp deal with his drug abuse problems. According to Kipper’s diagnosis, Depp dealt with primary dopamine imbalance, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), depression, insomnia, chronic substance abuse disorder, and chronic reflux. The doctor also recalled quitting Depp’s case after the actor failed to follow drug and alcohol protocols.
Depp later reconnected with Kipper and continued to be his patient, till date.
Kipper and Lloyd also testified to another incident from August 2014, during Depp’s detoxification process. In fact, Lloyd’s notes which were taken while she was taking care of Depp, suggested that Depp and Heard had regular fights. She added that she was usually called after the fights were over to provide Depp with medication and emotional support.
However, last week, the former couple’s therapist Dr Laurel Anderson had testified that both Depp and Heard engaged in mutual abuse, according to a BBC report.
She went on to highlight the history of abuse that was faced by both Depp and Heard, and said that Depp was “well controlled” until he met Heard. “With Ms Heard, he was triggered,” she said.
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Anderson further added that during her sessions with just Heard, the actor had turned up with several small bruises on her face, and had reported physical abuse at the hands of Depp.
The trial continues to unfold at the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia, over the next six weeks, and is being broadcast live.
Apart from Depp, his longtime friend and sound technician Keenan Wyatt is also expected to testify on Tuesday.
Others like James Franco, Paul Bettany, and Elon Musk are also expected to appear before the jury.