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 Depp, 57, is suing the
publisher of Britain's Sun newspaper for libel
over an article which labelled him a "wife
beater" and says it was he who suffered domestic
violence at the hands of Heard during their
volatile relationship.
The paper argues its story is true and the court
has been told Heard, 34, accuses her ex-husband
of attacking her on at least 14 occasions
between 2013 and 2016 when enraged after
drinking or taking drugs to excess.
In witness statements submitted to the court and
released on Thursday, two of Depp's former
partners, Paradis and Ryder said he was never
violent towards them and had been kind and
protective.
Paradis, with whom he spent 14 years and had two
children, said Heard's allegations about Depp
were nothing like the "true Johnny" she knew.
"I have seen that these outrageous statements
have been really distressing, and also caused
damage to his career because unfortunately
people have gone on believing these false
facts," her statement said.
Ryder, who was engaged to Depp in the early
1990s, said she could not wrap her head around
the accusations which had left her shocked and
confused.
"The idea that he is an incredibly violent
person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I
knew and loved," her statement said. "I do not
want to call anyone a liar but from my
experience of Johnny, it is impossible to
believe that such horrific allegations are
true."
Depp has a tattoo which once said "Winona
Forever" but he changed to "Wino Forever" and
the judge has been told by the Sun's lawyer
Sasha Wass that the first incident of violence
took place in 2013 when Heard mocked him about
it because he had started drinking again.
Both Paradis and Ryder had been due to give
evidence in person but Depp's lawyer David
Sherborne said their testimony was no longer
needed because their statements that he had
never been violent had not been challenged.
Earlier the court was told by Depp's bodyguard
Sean Bett that there were a number of times when
Heard had left visible injuries on his employer
after she had attacked him.
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He said one of these had taken place on April
21, 2016, after a party for Heard's 30th
birthday. The court has been told previously
that she alleges Depp had assaulted her when she
became upset because he had turned up late to
the party.
He denies this and says she assaulted him,
throwing a "haymaker" punch during the row.
Bett said he had driven Depp to another of his
homes after the argument and he had taken a
photo of the actor's face after he related that
Heard had punched him.
PHOTO DISPUTE
However, the court heard there was a dispute
over a photo submitted as part of Bett's
evidence and that the picture included with his
witness statement was in fact taken after
another incident on March 23, 2015.
Wass told the court that that incident, another
of the occasions when Depp is accused of
assaulting his ex-wife, was one where Heard
"admits she punched Mr Depp in defence of her
younger sister" and the only occasion when she
did so.
Bett said the photo he said he took the
following year looked very similar, but accepted
he could not find the original.
The bodyguard was also asked about an incident
in May 2016 when Heard accuses Depp of hurling a
mobile phone at her which struck her face,
leaving a bruise on her cheek. Bett said he saw
there was no visible injury to her face.
 Depp has already given evidence over five days
and Heard is expected to appear in the witness
box next week.
(Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
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