JOHNNY Depp blasted he “wouldn’t touch” ex-wife Amber Heard “with a hazmat suit on” in messages revealed in court today. The Pirates of the Caribbean star described his ex as a “f***ing wh*re” – saying “I f***ing hate her” in an explosive message sent to his nurse. The Court of Appeal was today shown the […]
JOHNNY Depp blasted he “wouldn’t touch” ex-wife Amber Heard “with a hazmat suit on” in messages revealed in court today.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star described his ex as a “f***ing wh*re” – saying “I f***ing hate her” in an explosive message sent to his nurse.
The Court of Appeal was today shown the message as Depp, 57, launched an appeal over last year’s High Court ruling that he repeatedly attacked his then-wife Ms Heard.
Depp sued The Sun for branding him a “wife beater” but his lawsuit backfired dramatically when the judge, Mr Justice Nicol, decided the words were accurate after a three-week trial in July last year.
And today the star’s lawyers claimed Ms Heard, 34, was not a credible witness as there was only evidence of her giving $350,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and $100,000 to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles – after she said she would donate her full $7million divorce settlement to charity.
Andrew Caldecott QC, for Depp, claimed the actress may have “deceived” the judge into thinking “she was a likely victim of domestic violence”.
But Adam Wolanski QC, for The Sun, said Depp was “preoccupied” with the idea that his ex was a “scumbag gold-digger”.
The judges were shown a text message sent by Depp to his nurse in August 2016 which read: “She won’t donate ONE PENNY!!!! No way she’ll give a dime to anyone!!! Thank f*** she’s gone!!!
“Makes me sick to think of how hard I tried to make it work. Now…
“Honestly, I wouldn’t touch that f***ing wh*re with a hazmat suit on!!!
“What scum. I f***ing hate her!!!”
And Mr Wolanski said it was “fanciful” and “absurd” to suggest that Ms Heard’s charity donations could have influenced the judge’s finding that Depp violently assaulted her.
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service available. from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
He said: “The labelling of Ms Heard as a ‘gold-digger’ was a misogynistic trope. It was hopeless, just like [Depp’s] theory that these accounts of abuse are a ‘hoax’.
“It’s nonsensical, and goes to no issue in the case.”
Mr Wolanski said Ms Heard had pledged to pay the money to the charities over the course of ten years – and has already donated $1.8million.
He added: “She has made these pledges and she fully intends to fulfil them.”
Depp’s lawyers claim Mr Justice Nicol “failed to examine the evidence and the arguments with the care that the parties were entitled to expect” – despite a four-week trial and the fact the judge spent three months preparing his judgment.
They also claimed his intricately-detailed judgment – which runs to 129 pages and more than 69,000 words – “lacks both analysis and reasoning”.
The Court of Appeal will announce its decision on whether to give Depp leave to appeal at a later date.
