'Depp whacked sister in face repeatedly,' Amber Heard's sister testifies
What's the story
As the highly publicized defamation trial between Hollywood actors and ex-spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard entered its fifth week, more disturbing accounts of assault have emerged. Taking the stand on Wednesday, Heard's sister Whitney Heard Henriquez became the first witness to testify that she personally witnessed Depp assaulting her sister. Here's what she said. Trigger Warning: Graphic description of assault.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The ongoing trial in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the US, has become the talk of the town in Hollywood. Depp is suing Heard for $50M, saying she defamed him by claiming to be a domestic abuse victim. Heard is countersuing Depp for $100M. Both have completed their testimonies and the trial is headed toward its conclusion (May 27), so all eyes are on it.
Testimony
Depp had extramarital affair within 1 month of marriage
Testifying on Wednesday, Henriquez said she witnessed the couple fighting back in March 2015, which was just one month after their marriage. Apparently, Heard had found evidence that Depp was cheating on her. In an inebriated state, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor blamed Heard for forcing him into the extramarital affair. As the fight escalated, Henriquez said she was caught between the two.
Fight
'Depp grabbed Heard's hair and whacked her repeatedly in face'
As Depp charged after the Aquaman star, Henriquez was caught in between them and said she was struck on the back. Enraged by this, Heard then smacked the 58-year-old. Then, as per Henriquez, Depp grabbed her sister "by the hair with one hand and was whacking her repeatedly in the face with the other." Finally, one of Depp's bodyguards stopped the fight.
Testimony
Depp maintained he never hit Heard or her sister
Notably, Depp has denied ever hitting Heard or for that matter, striking "any woman in my life." While Heard has denied Depp's claims of her abusing him, she has come clear that she hit her former husband to protect her sister. Talking about the 2015 fight, Heard had also recalled the Fantastic Beasts star holding her head and hitting her face multiple times.
Looking back
What was Depp's version of the fight?
While describing this fight, Depp had earlier said he received a "roundhouse punch" from Heard. He didn't mention hitting either of the sisters and the testimony of his bodyguard, Travis McGivern, lined up with his. Henriquez testified this was the only fight she witnessed firsthand, but she had seen the after-effects—which included seeing Heard's bruises—several times during the couple's short-lived marriage.
Do you know?
Heard's friends have backed her claims of abuse
Earlier, Heard's friend iO Tillett Wright testified he heard Depp abusing Heard over the phone, allegedly saying, "You think I f***ing hit you? What if I peel your f***ing hair back?" On Wednesday, another friend of Heard testified she saw bruises and cuts on her.