Johnny Depp’s 12 vicious attacks on ex-wife Amber Heard – from headbutt in the face to private jet abuse
JOHNNY Depp attacked ex-wife Amber Heard on 12 occasions, a judge ruled.
The assaults left her injured and fearing for her life.
After studying the evidence of his libel trial against The Sun, Mr Justice Nicol said “the great majority” of our allegations had been proven.
He ruled Depp, 57, subjected Amber, 34, to years of brutal drink, drug and rage-fuelled domestic abuse.
Out of 14 alleged incidents, he dismissed only two — owing to insufficient evidence.
Depp had sued The Sun for libel after we branded him a “wife beater” — but the judge ruled we were right.
Here are the shocking incidents and the judge’s findings.
1. Tattoo outburst
DRUNKEN Depp repeatedly slapped Amber in the face after she mocked him over his “Wino Forever” tattoo in early 2013.
It had read “Winona Forever” — a tribute to his ex Winona Ryder — but he had it changed.
Amber joked the tattoo summed him up, causing him to become enraged.
Our QC Sasha Wass told Depp: “You slapped her once and she didn’t react, she just eyeballed you, and that made you more angry, so you slapped her again and again.”
Depp denied it but the judge ruled: “I find that it did occur.”
2. Bust-up over painting
JEALOUS Depp hit Amber across the face with the back of his hand in a March 2013 row over a painting in her LA home by her ex-girlfriend Tasya van Ree.
He changed the signature to “Van Pee”, tried to burn it and hit her “so hard that blood from her lip ended up on the wall”.
Her sister arrived the next morning to find him guzzling whisky and snorting cocaine.
Pictures showed lines of cocaine and a pint glass of whisky on her kitchen table.
The judge ruled the assault happened as we told.
3. Depp tears trailer apart
DEPP tore a trailer apart and hit Amber after a woman chatted to her during a party in Hicksville, US.
He had consumed a cocktail of drink and drugs and trashed the mobile home they were staying in — smashing glass, tearing curtains and throwing things around before attacking Amber and ripping her dress.
Depp claimed he smashed just one light fitting but the judge ruled he caused “significant damage” in the June 2013 incident, adding that he regarded Amber as “his girl” and that her behaviour sparked his jealous rage.
4. Attack on private jet
DRUGGED-up Depp accused Amber of having an affair with her co-star James Franco before kicking her in the back during a flight on a private jet.
Depp was high on alcohol, cocaine, pills, marijuana and painkillers.
The court heard he yelled vile abuse, threw ice cubes at her then put the boot in as she tried to walk away.
He flew into his blind rage after finding out she had accepted a film role as Franco’s love interest.
The judge ruled the kick in May 2014 was more than the “playful tap” Depp claimed it was.
5. Violent Bahamas trip
THE disgraced screen star attacked Amber on a trip to the Bahamas to beat his painkiller addiction.
He got angry because she would not give him medication when he demanded it and ended up slapping and kicking her and pulling her hair, the court heard.
She had been trying to nurse him through the trauma and took a shocking photo of an unconscious Depp with a tub of ice cream spilling all over his lap as they were preparing to leave for the trip.
Depp said she had invented the August 2014 attacks but the judge ruled it “more likely than not” he was violent towards her.
6. Hotel room attack
THE Pirates of the Caribbean star also attacked Amber in a Tokyo hotel room in January 2015.
The actor shoved and slapped his wife and grabbed her by the hair before standing over her and shouting while she was on the floor, the court heard.
Sasha Wass QC told him: “You were worse for wear due to drink and drugs. You slapped her and struggled with her and wrestled her to the floor.”
Depp denied it, saying his children were staying in a room next door.
But the judge ruled: “I do not accept that the presence of his children would have inhibited Mr Depp from [assaulting Amber].
"I conclude that Mr Depp did assault Ms Heard as she and The Sun have alleged.”
7. Severed fingertip
DEPP assaulted Amber repeatedly during a three-day hostage situation in Australia, where he was filming Pirates of the Caribbean, in March 2015.
The court heard he hurled 30 glass bottles at her like grenades during a drink and drugs bender.
He tore off her nightgown and attacked her, causing cuts and bruises on her arms, legs, hands and feet.
Crazed Depp later severed the tip of his finger before using it to daub disturbing graffiti in blood and paint on the walls and furniture of the luxury rented villa.
A mirror was defaced with the words “Starring Billy-Bob” — a reference to Depp’s claim she was having an affair with co-star Billy-Bob Thornton.
The judge said Depp caused “a very considerable amount of damage”.
He believed her evidence about the assaults and said: “They must have been terrifying. I accept that Mr Depp put her in fear of her life.”
8. Trashed LA penthouse
THE Hollywood idol smashed up their LA home before hitting Amber “hard and repeatedly” in March 2015.
Depp had flown into a drug-fuelled rage after she confronted him over texts she had found on his phone from another woman, the court heard.
He also pushed her sister, Whitney, on the stairs when she tried to intervene.
Depp’s nurse, Debbie Lloyd, eventually dragged him away and later texted his assistant, saying: “Bad night last night. They got into it and it got violent again. I had to separate them.”
Again, the judge accepted he did assault Amber as she and The Sun alleged.
9. Assault on honeymoon
DEPP wrapped his T-shirt around Amber’s neck after hitting her in the face on their honeymoon in August 2015.
The couple had a luxury cabin on the Eastern & Oriental Express but the romance quickly descended into violence.
She wrote in her diary the following morning: “Hurt last night was particularly bad.”
In his ruling, the judge said: “I accept that she feared for her life on this occasion.”
10. Headbutt to the face
DEPP knocked Amber to the floor and butted her in the face as she tried to get up at their LA penthouse.
He then threw her on the bed, knelt on her back and repeatedly punched her in her head in December 2015.
Amber suffered severe headaches for at least a week in the attacks, ruled to have happened by the judge.
11. 30th birthday bash
DEPP arrived late for Amber’s 30th birthday party and attacked her in a rage, throwing a bottle of champagne at her and grabbing her by the hair in April 2016.
He later stormed out of the apartment, leaving a note which read: “Happy f***ing birthday”.
Depp claimed Amber or one of her friends defecated in his bed in revenge but the judge blamed their dog.
He said Depp “assaulted Ms Heard as he had done on previous occasions when he was stressed”.
Most read in News
12. Mobile phone attack
THE actor threw a phone at Amber’s face, causing bruises to her cheek, and smashed up the penthouse with a wine bottle.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
They had been due to have a final showdown in May 2016 but he was angry because he suspected her of pooing in his bed previously.
The judge said photo evidence from witnesses about her injuries was compelling.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
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 – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]