Johnny Depp’s legal team has spent the last two weeks offering evidence to prove Amber Heard abused him — but there was a time where he celebrated her “strength” that he claimed rivaled that of “a thousand men.”
The 58-year-old “Pirates of the Caribbean” legend’s message of praise was read by 38-year-old Heard’s attorney, Ben Rottenborn, in court on Monday as Depp’s high-profile defamation suit against his former spouse continues in Fairfax, Virginia.
Seven months before Depp slammed Heard as a “fat ass” and “c – – t” who was “full of s – – t as a Christmas goose,” Depp texted an apologetic declaration of gratitude to Heard’s late mom, Paige Parsons Heard, on Aug. 19, 2014, as he was heading into detox for addiction to prescription painkillers.
“My dearest Paige, how unbelievably kind and pure your message was,” Depp wrote. “I am beyond thankful to have you in my life. There’s no luckier man on this earth to have the strength that Amber gives me and the full support of each of you individually that I’ve gotten helps immeasurably.”
The “Edward Scissorhands” star continued, describing himself as a “poor, old junkie.”
“I don’t need to explain the horrors to you,” he stated. “You know as well as I. What you do need to know – that your daughter has risen far above the nightmarish task of taking care of this poor, old junkie.”
“Never a second has gone by that she didn’t look out for me or have her eyes on me to make sure that I was okay. Words are truly feeble in attempting to explain her heroism in a text. Suffice to say that I have never met, or loved, a woman or a thing, more,” Depp continued.
“She has the strength of a thousand men and that is due to no one or nothing but you, sweetheart. Thank you. I love you. Your son-outlaw,” he concluded.
The text was sent six months before Depp and Heard tied the knot, in February 2015. They split in 2017.
Parsons passed away in 2020.
Depp is currently suing Heard, claiming she defamed him in a Washington Post essay that many read as a blow-by-blow of the “Lone Ranger” star’s abuse.
The actor, who has vehemently denied abuse allegations, is seeking at least $50 million to compensate for the damage done to his career, plus an additional $350,000 in punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and court costs.
He was cross-examined in the courtroom by Rottenborn on Monday.
The lawyer read out another text sent by Depp — this one far less flattering than the one he wrote to her mom.
In the second message — composed after the ex-couple’s now-infamous 2015 fight in Australia that left Depp with a severed finger — Depp described Heard as being “as full of s – – t as a Christmas goose.”
In the same text, Depp called Heard “a malicious, evil and vindictive c – – t” who had an “obsession with herself” and was “so desperate for success and fame.”
Audio recordings of the couple’s explosive fights were also presented by Heard’s legal team during cross-examination of Depp, who can be heard berating his ex-wife in the clips.
“Shut up fat ass,” Depp yells at Heard in one of the recordings, played publicly for the first time.
The vicious comment came after Heard yelled at him to “put his cigarettes out on someone else.”
Depp denied putting his cigarette out on Heard, telling the jury she was grossly exaggerating.
The trial continues.
