The pair married in 2015 and split in May 2016, when Heard, 36, sought a domestic violence restraining order against Depp, accusing him of abusing her. Depp denied the claims, and the former couple settled their divorce out of court in August 2016.
Though Depp has said under oath that he has never struck Heard or any woman in his life, the Aquaman actress testified of multiple instances when he allegedly slapped, choked, kicked, hit, head-butted, sexually assaulted or threw objects at her, published People. She also admitted to hitting him as well in retaliation, and both have said they were verbally “nasty” to each other.
Depp has testified that his “goal is the truth” as he seeks to clear his name in the trial, adding that because of Heard’s allegations, he lost “nothing short of everything.”
Back in November 2020, Depp lost his highly publicized U.K. libel lawsuit case against British tabloid The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater.” The court upheld the outlet’s claims as being “substantially true” and Heard testified to back up the claims. In March 2021, Depp’s attempt to overturn the decision was overruled.
