Johnny Depp testified he once gave Marilyn Manson a pill so he would 'stop talking so much'
Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool via REUTERS
- Johnny Depp was questioned about using drugs with Marilyn Manson in his trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
- "I once gave Marilyn Manson a pill so he would stop talking so much," Depp testified.
- Heard's lawyers say Depp abused her while intoxicated with drugs and alcohol, which he denies abusing.
Johnny Depp briefly talked about his friendship with Marilyn Manson in testimony for his trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard on Thursday.
Asked by one of Heard's lawyers whether they used drugs together, Depp answered that they did.
"We drank together, we've had cocaine together, maybe a couple of times," Depp answered.
When asked whether they took "pills" together, Depp's answer led to laughter in the courtroom.
"I once gave Marilyn Manson a pill so he would stop talking so much," he said.
The trial, held in Fairfax, Virginia, is over a lawsuit Depp brought against Heard in March 2019. He alleged she defamed him by describing herself as a victim of domestic violence. She denied the allegations and claims Depp often physically abused her while he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Much of the first week of the trial was comprised of testimony from friends, family, and employees of Depp, who said they never witnessed Depp act violently toward Heard or abuse drugs. Depp had employed a doctor and nurse to help with addiction, but it was only to treat him for an opioid addiction he developed after taking a painkiller following a leg injury, the medical professionals testified.
In cross-examination Thursday, the third day of Depp personally giving testimony on the stand, Heard's lawyers sought to paint a different picture. They brought up text messages where Depp suggested he used copious amounts of drugs or alcohol, which the actor said were either exaggerations or misleading without more context.
Depp testified earlier in the trial that he began using drugs at the age of 11, using his mother's "nerve pills" before moving on to marijuana. But throughout his life, he used them only to "numb" rather than "party," and kept his usage under "control," he said.
Heard's lawyers asked him whether he used drugs with celebrity friends like "Wandavision" actor Paul Bettany or Manson — the latter of whom is the subject of at least 16 public misconduct allegations. Depp answered affirmatively, but denied that drug use was ever excessive.