Five Pieces of Shocking Evidence That Came Out in the Johnny Depp Trial

Johnny Depp is suing British tabloid newspaper The Sun for over an article in 2018 that accused him of beating then-wife Amber Heard.  

The article criticized JK Rowling for standing by Depp’s casting in the Fantastic Beasts sequel after evidence filed in the actor’s divorce alleged domestic violence. 

The Sun cited Heard’s testimony that she feared for her life and included a disturbing court photo of her bruised face, which she affirmed was the result of a drunken assault by her husband. A claim that Depp vehemently denies, to the extent that he’s suing The Sun for defamation.  

The explosive court proceedings have put Depp and Heard’s volatile marriage under a microscope that has revealed shocking testimony, nasty allegations, and unflattering photos.

Here are five bombshells from the trial of the summer:

The Cut Finger

Depp severed his finger and used it to write messages in blood all over his rented home. While shooting the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean in Australia in March 2015, the actor claims that he cut his finger when Heard lobbed a bottle of vodka at him. She alleges that he cut himself while on drug and alcohol binge. 

Depp believed at the time that it was the end of the couple’s tumultuous relationship, and in response, wrote nasty notes about Heard in blood on mirrors in the home. When the star ran out of blood, he dipped his wounded digit into black paint and wrote a message accusing Heard of cheating on him with then co-star Billy Bob Thornton.   

Medications?

Depp was high on drugs at the 2014 Hollywood Film Awards, when he delivered an incoherent speech filled with expletives while presenting an award for a documentary. Visibly unsteady, the Edward Scissorhands star struggled with the microphone and slurred his words, capping off his ramble by saying “It’s one of those nights.” In court, Depp said he was not ashamed of the public appearance but was “under the influence of many medications at the time.”     

Unconscious?

Photos taken by ex-wife Amber Heard showed Depp unconscious on a bedroom floor, with his head pillowed by the nightstand, after a drug and alcohol binge.  Another snap revealed a glass table at the couple’s Los Angeles home covered in drug paraphernalia, two glasses of whiskey, and four lines of cocaine.  Next to the drugs was a pill box decorated with a skull and crossbones, labeled “Property of JD.” In response to the evidence, Depp responded “I reject Ms. Heard’s attempt to portray me as a general drug addict.”  

Aminal Abuse?

The Sun’s attorney, Sasha Wass, accused the Black Mass star of holding Heard’s Teacup Yorkshire terrier out of the window of a moving car during a fight. The actor was accused of dangling the dog out the window and howling, while purportedly drinking whiskey and high on cocaine.  In court, Depp stated that “It is a very endearing image, but is absolutely utter falsity.” 

Alleged Domestic Abuse

During a 2014 detox on Depp’s private island in the Bahamas, The Sun’s attorney Wass alleged the actor pushed Heard when she withheld drugs from him. The star denied the accusation, stating “I was in no physical condition to push anyone.” 

Wass later read medical notes made by the Sweeney Todd actor’s private doctors. Dr. Connell Cowan’s noted that “Everyone around J seems to be intimidated by his power and money. No one stands up to him.”

While Dr. David Kipper depicted Depp’s mental state, “He has no understanding of delayed gratification and is quite childlike in his reaction when he doesn’t get immediate satisfaction.” He went on to write that Depp “romanticizes the entire drug culture and has no accountability for his behavior.” 

Marie Finn