A Los Angeles judge has granted a restraining order against Johnny Depp, filed by his now-estranged wife, Amber Heard, who appeared in court on Friday.
Documents filed by Heard and her lawyers state:
“During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me. I endured excessive emotional, verbal, and physical abuse from johnny, which included angry, hostile, humiliating, and threatening assaults to me whenever I questioned his authority or disagreed with him.”
The statement goes on to say that the 52-year-old actors’ drug and alcohol abuse played a role in his behaviour.
“Johnny’s relationship with reality oscillates, depending upon his interaction with alcohol and drugs. As Johnny’s paranoia, delusions, and aggression increased throughout our relationship so has my awareness of his continued substance abuse. Because of this, I am afraid of Johnny and for my safety.”
The actress details that, on April 21, Depp missed her 30th birthday party, finally showing up as everyone was leaving, drunk and high.
“We had a discussion about his absence from my birthday party, which deteriorated into a bad argument that started with Johnny throwing a magnum size champagne bottle at the wall and a wine glass on me and the floor — both which shattered. Johnny then grabbed me by the hair and violently shoved me to the floor. Johnny was also screaming and threatening me, taunting me to stand up.”
After this violent incident, Depp left the apartment and Heard didn’t see him again for a month. He then showed up at her apartment last Saturday night, again drunk and high, “began obsessing about something that wasn’t true,” becoming more and more enraged. Heard called a friend (on Depp’s request, apparently to resolve his paranoia), at which point the actor grabbed the phone out of Heard’s hand, throwing it at her face “with great force.” He then continued berating her, pulling her hair, striking her, and violently grabbing her face. This attack continued after a friend and Johnny’s security team entered the apartment (the friend, who tried to protect Heard, says Depp “slapped [her] hands away and screamed foul obscenities at [her]”), until the actor finally left, smashing yet another wine bottle in the adjoining apartment and destroying Heard’s things as he left.
Heard filed for divorce on Monday morning and, naturally, Depp claims Heard is simply looking for money. In a statement, he says:
“Amber is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse. Her current application for a temporary restraining order along with her financial requests appears to be in response to the negative media attention she received earlier this week after filing for divorce. Yet Johnny cannot protect himself or Amber from media scrutiny, and Amber’s anger certainly cannot drive this dissolution proceeding.”
The judge gave Amber the right to live in the home her and Depp shared, but rejected a request to protect at least one of their dogs from Johnny.