JOHNNY Depp told his multi-million US defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard that he went “from Cinderella to Quasimodo in 0.6 seconds” after she accused him of abuse.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star, 58, took to the stand last night to give evidence in the case being tried in Fairfax, Virginia.
He accused Heard, 35, of blaming him for “quite disturbing and heinous criminal acts” that were not true.
And he told the blockbuster televised court case that he is “obsessed with the truth” and wanted to defend himself and his children by bringing it.
Wearing a black suit, black shirt and floral print tie with his hair pulled back into a ponytail, Depp said: “Through the relationship, there were arguments and things of that nature.
“But never did I myself reach the point of striking Miss Heard in any way nor have I ever struck any woman in my life.
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“I thought it was diabolical that my children would have to go to school and have their friends and people in school approach them with the infamous People magazine cover with Miss Heard with a dark bruise on her face.
“Then it just kept multiplying, it kept getting bigger.
“I wanted to clear my children of this horrid thing they were having to read about their father which was untrue.
“I had to wait for my opportunity to address the charges which were criminal charges and they just weren’t true so I felt the responsibility of clearing the record.
“The only way that I could get to the point where I could speak has really taken this full six years.
“It’s been six years of trying times, it’s very strange when one day you’re Cinderella so to speak and in 0.6 seconds you’re Quasimodo.
“I didn’t deserve that, nor did my children.”
Depp added that he did not want people he had given advice to in the movie industry to see him as an abuser either.
He said: “I didn’t want any of those people to believe that I had done them wrong or lied to them, or that I was a fraud.
“I pride myself on honesty, I pride myself on truth.
“Truth is the only thing I’m interested in. Lies will get you nowhere but lies build upon lies.
“I’m obsessed with the truth and today is the first opportunity I’ve been able to speak about this case in full for the first time.”
Depp claims that his career was ruined by an article written by Miss Heard in 2018 for the Washington Post in which she described herself as a survivor of domestic abuse.
Although the article did not mention him by name he claims it led to the loss of his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates films and being cut from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Depp is suing Heard for £38.2million and she has countersued him for £76.7million over claims his lawyer made about her.
Earlier the court heard claims that Depp flew into a jealous rage with Heard aboard a private jet flying from Boston to Los Angeles in 2014.
Heard’s lawyer asked Keenan Wyatt, a friend of Mr Depp’s and a sound technician who worked on numerous movies with him, if he recalled the actor being verbally abusive on the jet.
Ms Bredehoft claimed that Mr Depp told Heard: ‘Get f***** on set. Get f***** with f****** James Franco. At least you f****** liked it’.
Mr Depp was apparently upset and jealous with Mr Franco, who co-starred with Heard in the film Pineapple Express.
Mr Wyatt said he didn’t recall such things being said.
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Depp lost a previous 2020 court case against The Sun in the UK after a High Court judge ruled the allegation that he was a ‘wife beater’ was substantially true.
The Virginia trial continues and is due to last six weeks.
