In the motion filed in a court in Virginia,in the United States, Amber Heard describes in extraordinary new detail how actor Johnny Depp repeatedly slapped, shoved, choked and pulled her hair before and during their two-year marriage.
The actor was described as a “monster” as details emerged as Heard, 32, asked a judge to dismiss a $50 million defamation lawsuit filed by Depp over an article she wrote in The Washington Post in December claiming to be a victim of domestic violence.
Depp has denied any such abuse. The couple married in February 2015 and divorced in January 2017.
Heard claimed Depp began abusing drugs and alcohol about a year into their relationship after they began dating in 2012, which led him to become a “totally different person”.
Depp’s attorney, Adam Waldman, said the new documents were being reviewed. He previously said his client looked forward to providing evidence that would clear his name.
The lawsuit alleges Depp suffered financial losses, including being stood down from his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, because of accusations published in The Washington Post in which Heard said she was a domestic violence victim.
The piece did not mention Depp by name or describe any incidents, but discussed the plight of those who speak out against abuse.
But Depp’s lawsuit says it was clear Heard was talking about him, and that it worsened the damage the allegations had already done to his career.
