Johnny Depp 'Not Proud' of Text About Amber Heard's 'Rotting Corpse' as He Reads Messages in Court

Johnny Depp's expletive-filled text messages were aired out in court on Thursday, including one about Amber Heard's "rotting corpse" is "decomposing" in the trunk of a car

Published on April 21, 2022 05:24 PM

Johnny Depp was asked to read some of his incendiary past text messages about ex-wife Amber Heard aloud in court Thursday, admitting to those present that he isn't proud of the language.

On Thursday, Depp, 58, answered questions from Heard's lawyers during cross examination in Fairfax, Virginia after finishing his witness testimony, which began Tuesday. During his testimony, the actor spoke about his career, past substance abuse, childhood abuse he suffered and his romantic relationship with Heard, which began while promoting their 2011 movie The Rum Diary.

At one point, her attorney Ben Rottenborn asked Depp to read an October 2016 text messages he sent to longtime friend and neighbor Isaac Baruch. The actor prefaced the piece of evidence, "I'll just say that I'm not proud of any of the language that I used in these anger—."

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Depp was asked to read the first one aloud: "Is the slippery whore that I donated my j--- to for awhile staying there???" After Depp said in passing, "I'm not sure I sent that text," Rottenborn insisted on reading the other one out loud: "Hopefully that c---'s rotting corpse is decomposing in the f-----g trunk of a Honda Civic!!"

The "rotting corpse" text was read aloud when Baruch testified last week. Other texts sent by Depp addressed on Thursday included one about drowning and burning Heard, in which Depp added, "I will f--- her burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she is dead." Depp has testified that he is "embarrassed" by his past texts, explaining that he often uses "dark humor" to express himself.

Under oath on Tuesday, Depp said, "Never did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life." He explained that his "goal" in suing Heard for defamation "is the truth," adding that he hopes to "clear the record" of the domestic violence allegations made against him by Heard.

One of Depp's witnesses, their former marriage counselor Dr. Laurel Anderson, previously testified that Depp and Heard engaged in "mutual abuse" with each other. Anderson said she also observed "multiple" small bruises on Heard's face at an in-person meeting.

Actor Johnny Depp listens as he testifies in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., . Actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse — Jim Lo Scalzo/AP/Shutterstock

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Depp is suing Heard for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post about surviving domestic violence, though she never mentioned Depp by name in the article. Depp originally filed the $50 million lawsuit in March 2019 and has argued that being painted as an abuser has ruined his Hollywood career.

During opening statements last week, Heard's attorney Rottenborn said evidence will show she suffered domestic abuse by Depp that "took many forms," including physical, emotional, verbal and psychological, as well as "sexual violence at the hands of Depp." A spokesperson for Depp denies the allegation as "fictitious."

When discussing the headline used for the online version of Heard's op-ed, the attorney explained that she did not write that headline herself or get to approve it. It read: "Amber Heard: I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change." However, the attorney claimed Heard has indeed been the victim of sexual violence by Depp.

About the headline, "tragically, it's true," Rottenborn told the courtroom. "Amber did suffer sexual violence at the hands of Depp. ... You will hear in the most graphic and horrifying terms about the violence that she suffered. You'll hear that straight from her. She will get on the stand and she will tell you that. It happened."

Shortly after, Rottenborn listed a time when Depp allegedly had a three-day, alcohol-fueled blackout while in Australia in 2015 toward the end of their marriage, when Depp "abused and sexually assaulted Amber, all because she had the courage to confront him about his drinking."

Actor Amber Heard speaks with her legal team in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., . Actor Johnny Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court after she wrote an op-ed piece in The Washington Post in 2018 referring to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse — Jim Lo Scalzo/AP/Shutterstock

Heard and Depp wed in 2015. They broke up in May 2016, when Heard sought a domestic violence restraining order against him, accusing him of abusing her. Depp denied the claims, and the former couple settled their divorce out of court in August 2016.

Back in November 2020, Depp lost his highly publicized U.K. libel lawsuit case against British tabloid The Sun for calling him a "wife-beater." The court upheld the outlet's claims as being "substantially true" and Heard testified to back up the claims. In March 2021, his attempt to overturn the decision was overruled.