Johnny Depp begged his assistant to get him “whitey stuff” and “happy pills” days before he is alleged to have attacked his ex-wife Amber Heard, a court heard.
The 57-year-old Pirates of the Caribbean star is currently in court suing the publishers of The Sun, News Group Newspaper for libel over an article that alleged he was violent towards his former lover Amber.
The article was published in April 2018 and dubbed Johnny a “wife-beater”, which the actor has heavily denied.
It’s headline read: “Gone Potty – How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?”
It related to allegations made against Depp by Amber, 34, who is also an actor, after she accused that him of being was violent towards her during their marriage.
Actor Johnny Depp is currently in court fighting The Sun (Image: REUTERS)
At a hearing in court yesterday, the newspaper’s lawyers asked the High Court judge to throw out Depp’s claims, which was alleged because they claim that he failed to disclose texts which allegedly show him trying to buy drugs in Australia.
Adam Wolanski QC, the News Group Newspaper barrister, told the court how his client had obtained texts between Depp and his assistant Nathan Holmes.
Mr Wolanski told the court how the texts came from Ms Heard’s lawyers.
It is alleged that on March 7 Depp texted Mr Homes: “May I be ecstatic again?”
The barrister said that was “a reference to ecstasy” and that the use of the word “again” meant it was “a request for further ecstasy”.
The court also heard how on the same day, Mr Depp texted Mr Holmes again to say “need more whitey stuff ASAP”, which Mr Wolanski said, “must be a reference to cocaine”.
Mr Wolanski said subsequent texts showed Mr Depp’s “increasing exasperation about the fact that he doesn’t have any drugs there and then”.
Mr Depp texted Mr Holmes to say: “F*****g give me the goddamn numbers, I will take care of this s**t, don’t bother.”
Mr Holmes explained: “If they don’t have it, I can’t get it. It’s someone that works on the film, not a professional dealer. I will bring it to you.”
Amber Heard leaves court in LA after claiming Johnny Depp physically assaulted her Friday May 27, 2016 (Image: Clint Brewer / Splash News)
Later, Mr Depp texted Mr Holmes again to say he did not want anyone to “lecture” him about drugs.
The Sun’s lawyer told the court that it was Ms Heard’s case that it was her “lecturing him (Mr Depp) about drugs that set him off”.
He added that Mr Depp was “getting enraged with Mr Holmes on the topic of the supply of drugs just a day before the Australia drug incidents are alleged to have taken place”.
Explaining why the messages were relevant to the case Mr Wolanski claimed: “It is the defendants’ case that drugs and alcohol had an influence on the claimant’s behaviour towards Ms Heard.”
The barrister told the court how Ms Heard alleges she was subjected to assaults after she challenged Mr Depp for taking a number of pills and washing them down with red wine.
Mr Wolanski said Mr Depp’s version of events is that he “expressly denies” that he took the drugs, that Ms Heard found a bag of pills or that the pair had any conversations about drug use during that time.
Instead, the actor claims that a row between him and Ms Heard was not about drugs, but was caused by discussion of a post-nuptial agreement Ms Heard did not agree to, and which Mr Depp said caused her to “go into a prolonged and extreme rage”, the court heard.
Mr Wolanski told the court how the messages should have been disclosed in evidence, and that, by not doing so, said Depp was in “serious” breach of a court order.
Amber and Johnny attend the 8th Annual HEAVEN Gala presented by Art of Elysium and Samsung Galaxy at Hangar 8 on January 10, 2015 (Image: Getty Images)
David Sherborne, representing Mr Depp, said the actor had not deliberately withheld evidence and argued the text messages were “not relevant” because the core issue in the case was not about his drug use.
He said: “The defendants claim, wrongly, that Mr Depp has withheld this document because it is ‘profoundly damaging to his case’; their implied accusation being that he withheld it deliberately. This is untrue.
“First, the claimant has already provided this document in the US libel proceedings.”
Mr Sherborne said NGN’s legal representatives have had access to the text messages as they form part of the evidence in separate US libel proceedings Mr Depp has brought against Ms Heard, and that Mr Depp is aware they have been given access to those documents.
He added: “Secondly, the issue, in this case, is whether the defendants can prove that the claimant committed serious domestic violence and put Ms Heard in fear.
“It is not about whether Mr Depp asks for drugs.”
Mr Sherborne told the court that much of the exchange between Mr Depp and Mr Holmes was “common banter”
A three-week trial at the Royal Courts of Justice in London – which was due to start in March, but was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic – is set to begin on July 7, with Mr Depp’s former partners Vanessa Paradis and Winona Ryder among the witnesses expected to give evidence.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
