Johnny Depp Claims He Stayed With Amber Heard Because His Dad Stayed With His Abusive Mom
Johnny Depp revealed why he stayed with his allegedly abusive ex-wife Amber Heard, who has similarly accused him of domestic violence.
During the Pirates of the Caribbean star's testimony in court Wednesday (April 20) during his $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, he explained his motivation for staying in the volatile marriage.
Depp told the court that Heard would allegedly "strike out" at him when she was frustrated and full of rage.
Content warning below // child abuse, domestic violence
"It could begin with a slap, it could begin with a shove, it could begin with throwing a TV remote at my head," Depp said, per People. He also claimed that Heard's behavior became more frequent and that "too many lines were crossed; you couldn't see the lines anymore."
When his attorney asked why he didn't leave Heard during the first instance of alleged abuse, Depp said that he discovered how to "pick your battles" and that the answer was complicated. He said he recalled thinking at the time: "No one can live like this."
According to the New York Post, Depp also made reference to a moment that he spoke about at the Fairfax, Va. court on Tuesday (April 19). He explained that his mother, Betty Sue Palmer, attempted suicide after his father, John Christopher Depp, left their home and abusive marriage.
"Why did I stay? I suppose because my father stayed [in his abusive marriage]," he began. Depp later added that he didn't want to fail and that he wanted to "try and make it work" with Heard.
"I thought maybe I could help her," the actor continued. "I thought maybe I could bring her around. Because the Amber Heard that I knew for the first year, year and a half, was not this... suddenly this opponent. It wasn't my girl, she had become my opponent."
Meanwhile, Depp's older sister, Christi Dembrowski, testified in court on April 13 that she, her brother and their father were all physically abused by their mother.
She said that Depp swore to never perpetrate domestic violence after what they experienced as kids.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of domestic abuse, help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-799-7233.