Depp discussed the changing nature of his relationship with Hurd in his early testimony Wednesday. He accused Hurd of calling and humiliating comments about him at times in their relationship, which could escalate into controversy.
“I was not allowed to be right, I was not allowed to have a voice,” Depp said.
In her approximately three-hour testimony on Tuesday, the Oscar-nominated star spoke in detail about Hurd’s allegations of domestic violence, his history of substance abuse and his experiences growing up with a violent mother.
“You are slowly realizing that you have a relationship with your mother, in a sense,” Depp said Wednesday about his dynamics with Hurd, comparing the abuse he says he experienced from his mother to the alleged violence from Hurd.
Depp’s lawyer asked him why he stayed with Hurd as their relationship deteriorated.
“I wanted to try to get him to work,” he said.
“Mrs. Hurd has talked about suicide several times, so it’s also a factor, it’s something that lives in the back of your brain,” Depp said.
The actor, best known for his work in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, is suing Hurd for $ 50 million for a 2018 Washington Post article about her experience of domestic violence. She did not name Depp in the song, but he said it cost him a lucrative film job.
Depp confirmed his innocence and testified on Tuesday that although he and Hurd had an argument during their relationship, he never “hit a woman”.
Depp and Amber met on the set of “The Roma Diary” in 2009, married in 2015 and reached a controversial separation, with both sides accused of misconduct.
The couple arranged their divorce in August 2016, issuing a joint statement, which reads in part: “Our relationship was very passionate and at times unstable, but always bound by love.”
Hurd was unsuccessful in trying to dismiss the lawsuit. She has filed a $ 100 million defamation lawsuit against Depp in 2020, which continues.
Depp discussed his tattoos in court on Wednesday, saying Hurd would make fun of some of them, which he equated to keeping a diary of his life.
He mentioned the “Winona forever” tattoo that Depp said he made for his ex-girlfriend, actress Winona Ryder, but changed it to “Wino forever” after they broke up. He said Hurd didn’t like him.
“I took off the last two letters and made it say ‘Wine Forever,'” Depp said, adding, “I thought the pain came from the humor. Humor has to get into the pain there, and here’s how you play it in your mind … so I changed it to “Wino Forever.”
He said Hurd wanted him to get a tattoo of her own name, which he eventually did.
“And, ironically, it didn’t take long for everything to go awry,” Depp said.
“I did my best to make her face smile instead of frowning and then the problems she was experiencing came on,” he said. “I tried to wake her up with laughter, singing silly songs in her ear. Usually I just tried to keep lifting her spirits. Sometimes it worked, many times it didn’t. But I tried.
Depp also gave additional evidence of his use of oxycodone during his time with Hurd and the withdrawal symptoms he will experience when he goes through detoxification.
Chloe Melas, Lisa France and Sandra Gonzalez contributed to this story.
Add Comment