Johnny Depp in the courtroom
(Picture: AP)Johnny Depp’s life has been “completely wrecked” by Amber Heard, an old friend of the actor’s has told the court.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star is suing his ex-wife for “defamation by implication” libel over a 2018 article in The Washington Post in which she called herself a “public figure representing domestic abuse”.
He denies abusing Ms Heard.
Now his long-time friend and artist Isaac Baruch, who has known Mr Depp for 40 years, has said the allegations had “completely wrecked” the Hollyowod star’s life.
Becoming visibly upset, he told the court in Virginia’s Fairfax County Circuit Court: “For Johnny, his family has been completely wrecked by all of this stuff and it’s not fair.
“It’s not right what she did and what happened for so many people to get affected from this, it’s insane how this happened.”
The artist said Ms Heard’s “fake narrative” had gone “out of the door and around the world” while he gave evidence at the US trial.
Asked whether he was angry at the Aquaman star and her allegations, he said: “Yeah, that kind of got me confused and frustrated and angry, upset.
“It’s (been) six years… am I angry? What I am is tired and I want this all to end. So many people have been affected by this malicious lie that she started and she created and it’s gone out the door and around the world.
“I’m not angry at anybody. I want the best for (Ms Heard), I want her to take her responsibility, heal, and move on.”
Elsewhere in court, attorneys for Ms Heard grilled Depp’s older sister Christi Dembrowski over the actor’s drug and alcohol use.
Ns Heard lawyer J. Benjamin Rottenborn resumed his cross-examination of Depp’s older sister focusing on a February 2014 text exchange between Heard and Dembrowski.
"Ms. Heard says, `JD is on a bender,’ and your response is, `Where are the kids?’ - correct?" Rottenborn asked.
Dembrowski said that was correct. She also confirmed a 2014 email exchange she had with a doctor who treated Depp’s addiction to pain medication.
"You believe that your brother needed help with drugs and alcohol?" Rottenborn asked.
Dembrowski responded she was concerned about Depp’s use of one medication but didn’t believe that he had a problem with drugs or alcohol overall.
Both Depp and Heard are expected to testify at the trial, scheduled for six weeks.
Actors Paul Bettany and James Franco and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk are also expected to have a say.
A civil jury of seven members, plus four alternates, was selected Monday to hear the case.
