Warning: The following story contains explicit language warning about sexual abuse and assault.
Johnny Deppis denial of the allegations of sexual assault against his ex-wife Amber Heard‘s lawyer made against him on the first day of his $50 million defamation trial.
The former couple is squaring off in the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia after Depp sued Heard over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post about surviving domestic violence. While the 35-year-old never mentioned Depp by name in the article—entitled “Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence—and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change”—her attorney Ben Rottenborn now claims it was Depp who was the alleged abuser.
“Tragically, it’s true,” Rottenborn told the courtroom in Virginia in April 11 during his opening arguments. Depp was responsible for Amber’s sexual abuse.
He also said the actress suffered domestic abuse by Depp that “took many forms,” including physical, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse.
Rottenborn spoke out about Heard’s forthcoming testimony, saying that “you will hear in most graphic and terrifying terms about the violence she suffered.” You’ll get it straight from her. “She will take the stand, and you will be told that.” That’s what happened.