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 Depp is suing News Group
Newspapers, publishers of the Sun newspaper,
over a 2018 article which labelled him a "wife
beater" and questioned his casting in the
"Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them"
franchise.
The 57-year-old actor - who earned a fortune
from his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the
"Pirates of the Caribbean" movie series - told
the court last week that all of Heard's
allegations of physical and verbal abuse were
untrue. He denies ever being violent with her or
with any other woman.
In a sworn written statement to the court,
released as she began her oral evidence in the
witness box, Heard said she had been severely
abused by Depp.
"Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid
he was going to kill me, either intentionally or
just by losing control and going too far," she
said in the statement.
"He explicitly threatened to kill me many times,
especially later in our relationship."
Heard, 34, said the actor would obsess about her
appearance and would call her "a slut",
"fame-hungry" and "an attention whore" if she
wore certain outfits.
"The physical abuse included punching, slapping,
kicking, head-butting and choking me, as well as
throwing me into things, pulling me by my hair,
and shoving me or pushing me to the ground. He
threw things at me, especially glass bottles."
she said.
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 Heard also said that after his
rages had abated, Depp would blame his actions
on an alter ego he would call "the monster".
Heard was asked by Eleanor Laws, a lawyer for
Depp, about allegations from his side that the
couple had clashed over whether to sign a
pre-nuptial agreement and that she was motivated
by money.
Heard said she was "not interested in Johnny's
money, never have been". She said the actor had
told her he would rip up any pre-nuptial
agreement and told her "the only way out is
death".
Depp says the accusations are a hoax, with some
collated for years as part of an insurance
policy by Heard. Witnesses called by his legal
team have concurred with his version of events.
His former long-time partner Vanessa Paradis,
the mother of his two children, and actress
Winona Ryder, to whom he was engaged in the
1990s, said he was never violent and they do not
believe Heard's allegations.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Writing by Estelle
Shirbon and Angus MacSwan)
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