Amber Heard took to the stand earlier this week in the libel case brought against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp, with her testifying in court that he was violent and sexually abusive

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Amber Heard alleges Johnny Depp ‘kicked’ her on a plane

Actress Amber Heard was accused of giving “the performance of her life” as she testified in court that ex-husband Johnny Depp was violent and sexually abusive.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star’s legal team blasted his former wife after she provided harrowing testimony about the couple’s life together.

Depp, 58, is suing Heard for defamation over an article she wrote in US newspaper The Washington Post about domestic violence she suffered, though she did not name her ex-husband in it.

He is demanding over £38million, saying her claims have all but ended his career and ruined his reputation.

The actress, 36, has filed a countersuit against Depp, seeking almost £78million in damages and saying his legal team falsely accused her of fabricating claims.

She accuses Depp of orchestrating a “smear campaign” against her and describes his lawsuit as a continuation of “abuse and harassment”.

During her evidence, Heard told the court in Fairfax, Virginia, that Depp repeatedly hit and verbally abused her, and at one point sexually abused her.

Following her testimony on Thursday, a spokesman for the actor said: “As [his] counsel predicted in their opening statements last month Ms Heard did indeed deliver ‘the performance of her life’ in her direct examination.

“While Ms Heard’s stories have continued to grow new and convenient details, Mr Depp’s recollections have remained exactly the same throughout the six painful years since her first allegations were made.

“His truth – the truth – is the same no matter the environment in which it has been presented.

“The upcoming cross-examination from Mr Depp’s team will be most telling and will highlight the many fallacies Ms Heard has now attempted to pass off as fact throughout her convoluted testimony.”

In response, a spokesman for the Aquaman actress said: “As evidenced by the statement released, Mr Depp’s defamation claim is falling apart so rapidly that his counsel are turning from prosecutor to persecutor.

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“They boast that Mr Depp’s story has not changed. If so, since he lost the Domestic Violence Restraining Order and he resoundingly lost the libel case in the UK, perhaps he should consider a new strategy rather than the recycled approach of attacking the victim and refusing to take responsibility for his own conduct.

“Mr Depp’s behaviour in this trial has been as pitiful as it was in their marriage.

“Apparently, they feel they must double-down on their demonstrably losing two-part strategy: distract the jury and demonise the victim.”

Depp lost a libel case in which he sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, for publishing a 2018 story with the headline “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?”

On Thursday the jury heard how Depp accused his wife of having an affair with Oscar-winning British actor Eddie Redmayne while they were filming The Danish Girl in 2015.

The US trial with seven jurors is due to resume on Monday.

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