A final say. Amber Heard responded to Kate Moss’ testimony amid Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against her. The Aquaman star took to the witness stand on the final day of witness testimonies on May 27, 2022, to talk about Johnny’s ex-girlfriend’s testimony.
Kate Moss appeared briefly in court via video to dispel claims made by Amber earlier during her trial with Johnny, when the Aquaman actress brought up a rumor that the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory actor once pushed Kate down a flight of stairs. During cross-examination, Johnny’s lawyer Camille Vasquez asked Amber, “You didn’t expect Ms. Moss to testify that that never happened, did you?”
“Incorrect,” Amber replied. “I know how many people will come out of the woodwork to be in support of Johnny. It is clear by this courtroom how many people will do that.”
The actress explained her reasoning for why she brought up the alleged rumors of the infamous stair incident with Kate. “Everybody who was around in the ’90s and the early aughts knew that rumor. I had heard that rumor from multiple people. Of course, that’s what flashed through my head when my violent husband not only swung for me but all of a sudden swung for my sister,” she said on the stand. “Of course, I thought of that.”
Amber first brought up Kate when she described a similar incident that happened to her and her sister, recalling the rumor that Johnny pushed his ex-girlfriend down a flight of stairs when they were together. Amber claimed that when she was still married to the Pirates of the Caribbean star, her sister Whitney Henriquez was trying to defend her during an argument when Johnny attacked them. Whitney was allegedly “in the line of fire … trying to get Johnny to stop. Her back was to the staircase, and Johnny swings at her. I don’t hesitate, I don’t wait — I just, in my head, instantly think of Kate Moss and stairs,” Amber said.
Johnny’s legal team brought Kate Moss in on May 25, 2022, via video to testify that the rumor was false. “We were leaving the room and Johnny left the room before I did. There had been a rainstorm. As I left the room, I slid down the stairs and I hurt my back,” she said under oath. “I screamed because I didn’t know what happened to me and I was in pain. He came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention. He never pushed me, kicked me, or threw me down any stairs.”
Johnny and Kate dated from 1994 to 1997. They were one of the most prolific celebrity couples of the decade and were notoriously known for their public scuffles. Almost two decades later, Johnny married Amber. They were married from 2015 to 2017. In 2018, Amber Heard wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post about her experiences with domestic abuse. Though she didn’t name anyone, many thought that the op-ed was about her marriage to Johnny. Johnny is suing Amber for $50 million for defamation after he claimed that the op-ed had caused him to lose many of his acting jobs. The trial is expected to end today.
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual or domestic abuse, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224 for free, confidential support.