The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard domestic abuse case is faaar from over.
Last year, Depp filed a $50-million defamation case against Heard for allegedly abusing him while they were married. In 2016, Heard claimed that her ex-husband hit her—there were even photos of the actress’ bruised face as proof.
However, it seems like Depp is standing his ground. On Jan. 31, the Daily Mail released a recording from 2015 of the exes arguing in their home where Heard allegedly admitted to hitting Depp. Lawyer Adam Waldman, who represents Depp, confirmed to USA Today that it’s a real recording.
If you listen to it, you could hear the actors debating whether or not Heard injured Depp. “Babe, you’re not punched… I don’t know what the motion of my actual hand was, but you’re fine. I did not hurt you, I did not punch you, I was hitting you,” Heard said. Depp replied that he didn’t want to divorce his then-wife, but that they would have to separate “if things get physical.”
“I can’t promise you I won’t get physical again,” Heard responded.
“The first confessional tape she made reveals a conversation any real abuse victim will recognize all too well. It exposes that Ms. Heard perpetrated serial violence against Mr. Depp, and then concocted an elaborate abuse hoax to cover it up. Ms. Heard gives a motive for her violence: Mr. Depp was always trying to ‘split’ to escape her abuse,” Waldman told USA Today.
Meanwhile, Heard’s lawyer Roberta Kaplan argued in a statement that just because “a woman fights or talks back does not mean she has not been the subject of repeated domestic violence and abuse.” She also emphasized that Heard got physical as an act of self-defense when Depp “would violently assault her.”
This recording exploded on social media with netizens changing sides and criticizing Heard for using the #MeToo narrative to fabricate her abuse. The hashtags #JusticeForJohnnyDepp and #AmberHeardIsAnAbuser also trended on Twitter.
This domestic assault case has been going on before after Depp and Heard reached a divorce settlement in 2016. Court documents alleged that Depp regularly beat up Heard before they got married in 2015 and continued during their 18-month marriage
As of writing, there are still no updates from the actors’ legal teams. We’ll keep you updated once more details pop up.
[USA Today]
Photo courtesy of Amber Heard’s Instagram account
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