Amber Heard has released what she says is new evidence proving her allegations of physical and sexual abuse against ex-husband Johnny Depp, revealing notes taken over the years by her therapist detailing instances in which she says the actor “hit her.” He threw her against a wall and threatened to kill her.”
The 36-year-old actress handed over “a folder with years of notes going back to 2011 from the beginning of their relationship” to NBC’s Dateline, before taping the first interview she gave after losing her libel suit. protagonist of “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
“There is a folder with years of notes dating back to 2011 from the beginning of my relationship that were taken by my doctor who I was reporting the abuse to. His notes represented years, years of real-time explanations of what was going on.” said Heard, whose legal team was unable to present the notes as evidence in court.
The notes contain descriptions of violence dating back to January 2012, when Heard told her therapist that Depp “punched her and threw her on the ground.” Eight months later she claimed that she “ripped her nightgown, threw her on the bed”, while in 2013, she “threw her against a wall and threatened to kill her”.
The statements come after the “Today” show aired the third preview of the interview in which Heard says he “absolutely still loves” Depp.
Earlier this month, a jury ruled that Heard defamed her ex-husband by publishing an article claiming she was a sexual assault survivor in the Washington Post.
Depp was ordered to pay $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, although the judge reduced the second payment to $350,000, under Virginia law.
In addition, he was awarded $2 million in compensatory damages, meaning Depp walked away from the case and Heard owed him $8.35 million.
However, despite being found guilty of defamation, Heard continues to publicly accuse the actor of physical and sexual abuse.
Amber also told Dateline that she is not a “vengeful” person.
“One thing I can tell you is that one thing I am not vindictive. This would be a really lousy way to get revenge. As silly as it is to say this out loud, my goal, the only thing I can hope for right now… that people see me as a human being,” he said.
When the interviewer questioned her about the statements of several witnesses, who said that they saw Heard instigate violence against Depp during their relationship, the actress said that she “never had to instigate it” and that she only “responded”, claiming that she only became violent with the actor “to cope” with the abuse to which he alleges he subjected her.
“When you live in violence and it becomes normal, as I testified, you have to adapt, you adopt coping strategies. If it meant, as I testified, if it meant the difference between a broken nose or a sore cheek, I would. I was beaten for a long time before I knew how to defend myself,” he insisted.
In a statement provided to Dateline, Depp’s legal team criticized Heard for continuing to air her allegations publicly after the trial concluded.
“It is unfortunate that the defendant and her team are once again repeating, reimagining and re-litigating matters that have already been decided by the Court and a verdict that was unanimously and unequivocally decided by a jury in Johnny’s favor,” he said.
However, Heard insists that she will “stand by her testimony until the day she dies,” repeating language used in the Washington Post op-ed that sparked the trial by describing herself as a “survivor.”
“I will keep my testimony until the day I die. I know what happened to me. I am here as a survivor. Until the day I die I will keep every word of my testimony,” he said.
Heard now claims she never wanted her abuse allegations against Depp to be aired so “publicly”, insisting she never wanted to go to trial but “had no choice” because her ex-spouse decided to sue her.
“I didn’t want this to be a thing, I didn’t want it to be a trial, I didn’t want it to be part of the public record. But when someone sues you, you don’t really have a choice,” she stated.
Amber insists she just wants to get on with her life: “I hope to live my life and I have a long, I hope, one ahead of me. I will continue to walk through this with my chin held high.”
ABC