Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard arrive at London's High Court for legal showdown. Video / AP
Johnny Depp's former partners Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis have described him as a kind and loving man, saying it was "impossible" to believe that he was capable of attacking anyone.
Ryder and Paradis said they did not recognise the description of him as a violent drug and drink-fuelled abuserthat had been painted by his former wife Amber Heard.
In witness statements released by the High Court as part of a libel case brought by Depp against the publisher of the Sun newspaper, Ryder, 48, even suggested Heard was not telling the truth.
Ryder, who recently starred in Stranger Things and has described Depp as her first love, stated: "I do not want to call anyone a liar, but from my experience of Johnny, it is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true. I find it extremely upsetting, knowing him as I do.
"The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the furthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved. I cannot wrap my head around these accusations.
"He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen."
Winona Ryder at the 26th Annual Screen Actors' Guild Awardson January 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Photo / Kevin Mazur, Getty Images
Paradis, the French singer, model and actress who had two children with Depp during a 14-year relationship which ended when he left her for Heard, said: "This is nothing like the true Johnny I have known and, from my personal experience of many years, I can say he was never violent or abusive to me.
"I have seen that these outrageous statements have been really distressing, and also caused damage to his career because unfortunately people have gone on believing these false facts."
The dramatic release of the witness statements came on the eighth day of the actor's case against The Sun's publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor Dan Wootton over an article from April 2018 alleging that he was violent towards Heard, 34, before and during their marriage.
Both Ryder and Paradis had been due to appear via video link in order to answer questions about their evidence.
Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case. AP Photo Dominic Lipinski, PA
However, Depp's lawyers decided not to call them since the case did not rest on whether the actor was violent to other women but only against Heard.
Unlike many of Depp's witnesses, neither of the two women are understood to be financially dependent on him, although Paradis stays in a house he owns in LA when visiting with their children.
NGN's barrister, Sasha Wass QC, told the court: "We would have wanted to cross examine both Winona Ryder and Vanessa Paradis, but a decision has been taken by the claimant to abandon them as witnesses."
Justice Nicol ruled that, because extracts from both Ryder's and Paradis' statements had been read in open court at a preliminary hearing, they should be made public.
Amber Heard appearing on the James Corden Late Late Show in December 2015. AP Photo / High Court
In her statement Ryder, who met Depp in 1989 when she was 17 and he was 26, said: "I was absolutely shocked, confused and upset when I heard the accusations against him.
"I truly and honestly only know him as a really good man – an incredibly loving, extremely caring guy who was so very protective of me and the people that he loves, and I felt so very, very safe with him."
The court had previously heard Depp had a "Winona Forever" tattoo which he later changed to "Wino Forever" and which Heard is alleged to have mocked in light of him failing to give up drink and drugs.
Actor Johnny Depp, centre, surrounded by fans as he arrives at the High Court in London. AP Photo / Alastair Grant
Earlier, Depp's head of security for 14 years claimed Heard was violent to him on multiple occasions, with his security team having to protect him from her abusive behaviour. Sean Bett told the hearing that Heard's abuse of her husband became a "recurring cycle" during their relationship.
He said: "Throughout the course of Mr Depp and Ms Heard' s relationship, Ms Heard was verbally and physically abusive towards Mr Depp. On many occasions, I witnessed her shout at Mr Depp. I was also told by Mr Depp on multiple occasions that Ms Heard had physically abused him.
"A very common occurrence throughout the relationship would be that Mr Depp would have me, and other members of his security team, take him away from Ms Heard due to her behaviour."
Johnny Depp with injuries allegedly sustained from Amber Heard during an incident in Los Angeles in March 2015. AP Photo / High Court
The court was shown a number of photographs taken by Bett of injuries to Depp allegedly caused by Heard, including one (above) showing a red mark to his cheek taken in March 2015 and another, showing a scratch and reddening around his nose, taken in December 2015.
