Amber Heard is requesting a Virginia judge dismiss ex-husband Johnny Depp’s $50 million defamation lawsuit against her, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
In the filing, Heard revealed an intensely detailed history of alleged violence, arguing that this legal battle should take place in California, if at all. Her attorney, Eric George, filed the motion to dismiss Depp’s complaint on Thursday. THR reports that Heard’s never been to Virginia and, according to George, the purported harm done to Depp’s reputation occurred in L.A.
George also argued that Depp has altered the truth and his suit is “an all-too-transparent ploy to stanch the ongoing damage to his reputation as a Hollywood star.”
The filing asserted there were “dozens of violent episodes” during the course of their relationship, with Heard declaring that Depp allegedly hit her for the first time about a year into the relationship. She also shared several occurrences of abuse, including one incident from March 2015 where she stated Depp left her “naked and barefoot, covered in alcohol and glass.” While he claims Heard hurled a vodka bottle at him, she says he cut his finger while smashing his phone against the wall. The alleged incident resulted in Depp needing hand surgery.
“On the third day of Johnny staying awake without sleeping, I came downstairs to find numerous messages Johnny had written to me around the house, on the walls and on my clothes, written in a combination of oil paint and the blood from his broken and severed finger,” Heard wrote in the filing. “To this day, I still have scars on my arms and feet from this incident.”
Heard also alleged that in December 2015, she threatened to leave Depp and he yelled “something like, ‘I fucking will kill you’” and pushed her face into a mattress. She also touched on the extensively publicized May 2016 incident, where police responded to a 911 call at their penthouse. Heard had refused to give a statement to the authorities because she was afraid of an “international media incident.”
In March, Depp sued Heard for defamation in connection with a December 2018 Washington Post piece on domestic abuse. While the story didn’t single out Depp, it was largely seen as being about the actor due to previous allegations of violence. Depp's lawsuit referred to Heard's claims as nothing more than an “elaborate hoax” and presented evidence that suggested Depp was actually the one who endured physical abuse during the marriage.
That same month, Depp, through his legal team, accused Heard of having a romantic relationship with Elon Musk during their marriage. Days later, Depp supporters called for justice as more details surrounding his lawsuit against Heard came to light. His legal team believes Heard fabricated her claims in an effort to propel her career as the #MeToo movement was in full swing.
