- Johnny Depp has taken ex-wife Amber Heard to court, accusing her of making up domestic violence claims.
- On Tuesday, Depp took the stand to deny Heard's "disturbing allegations."
- He said they argued during their relationship but he has never assaulted her or any other woman.
Johnny Depp admitted that he and ex-wife Amber Heard argued frequently during their relationship, but that he never crossed the line to hitting her, as he took the stand on Tuesday in his defamation case against the actress.
The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star is suing Heard, claiming that she ruined his career and reputation by insinuating that she had been the victim of domestic violence at his hands. The defamation lawsuit asks for $50 million in damages.
Depp and Heard split in 2016 after just over a year of marriage, after Heard appeared in court with a bruised face and requested a restraining order against Depp.
Heard responded to Depp's lawsuit with a $100 million counterclaim alleging he assaulted her on multiple occasions before and during their marriage.
Depp took the stand Tuesday afternoon, speaking about Heard's allegations publicly for the very first time.
He called Heard's allegations "disturbing" saying they came as a "complete shock" to him.
"There were arguments and things of that nature, but never did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way, nor have I ever struck any woman in my life," Depp said.
Depp said he felt the need to speak up about the accusations when they started to permeate Hollywood, and felt himself starting to become a pariah.
"One day you're Cinderella, so to speak," he said. "Then in 0.6 seconds, you're Quasimodo. I didn't deserve that."
He said he especially felt the need to defend himself against the accusations on behalf of his two children, who were in high school when he and Heard got divorced. Depp has a son and daughter from his prior relationship with French actress Vanessa Paradis.
"I wanted to clear my children of this horrid thing that they were having to read about their father which was untrue," he said.
While on the stand on Tuesday, Depp went into great detail about his turbulent childhood, which he said was filled with abuse from his mother.
Depp said his mother could be "quite cruel" and was physically abusive in many ways, from flinging ashtrays at him to beating him with a high-heeled shoe.
Earlier in the trial, Depp's sister testified about their childhood abuse, saying both she and Depp vowed to never repeat that abusive behavior themselves.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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