Amber Heard has claimed in court that she made the decision to divorce actor Johnny Depp claiming she “would likely not survive if she didn’t.”
The tearful actress, 36, took the stand today after a week-long break in the US defamation trial with Depp, 58.
During her time on the stand, Heard alleged that Depp physically and sexually assaulted her, which the actor denies.
Heard has now claimed that she decided to file for divorce after Depp threw a phone at her face in May 2016.
It followed a row over allegations made by Depp that the actress’ faeces had been left in his bed by her friends.
(Image: Steve Helber/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
She told the court: “At the time it felt like the hardest thing I ever had to do. I had worked so hard to try to make this relationship work, I went to therapy, Al Anon, I got help, I read books, I did everything I could possibly and it didn’t work and I was conflicted.
“I was conflicted, I knew after he threw the phone at my face that after all that month of not seeing each other, not getting better, not getting clean and sober.”
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
She added that she “loved Johnny so much” but believed she wouldn’t survive unless they split.
“It was falling apart, I knew I had to leave him, I knew I wouldn’t survive it if I didn’t. So I made the decision to file for divorce. It was hard because I love Johnny so much, I loved him so much.
“I knew if I didn’t I would likely not literally survive. I was so scared that it was going to end really badly for me, and I didn’t want to leave him, I loved him so much.”
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
She went on to claim that violence in the relationship had become “normal” and that she was too scared to stay.
“The promise and the hope I had had became less and less regular and more and more rare. The violence is now normal and not the exception,” The Magic Mike star added.
Heard continued: “I was so scared, I believed he would take it too far and I wouldn’t be here.”
Depp is suing Heard for alleged defamation over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018, in which she said she was a victim of domestic abuse.
The Aquaman star is countersuing him for $100million (£81million).
The trial continues.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
