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Home / Entertainment

Johnny Depp divorce: Actor 'repeatedly abused Amber Heard,' claims his 'assistant'

By Harriet Alexander
Daily Telegraph UK·
2 Jun, 2016 06:30 PM4 mins to read

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In 2016 Johnny Depp was ordered to stay 100 yards away from his estranged wife Amber Heard after she alleged that she had been the victim of physical assault by her husband. Source: AP

Johnny Depp repeatedly abused his wife Amber Heard and was wracked with guilt for doing so, according to a series of explosive text messages which an American television show claimed to have obtained.

Entertainment Tonight reported that they had been shown the text messages by a source who explained that it was a conversation in May 2014 between "Stephen" - believed to be Mr Depp's assistant, Stephen Deuters - and a person believed to be Miss Heard.

"He's incredibly apologetic and knows that he has done wrong," Stephen's alleged text reads. "He wants to get better now. He's been very explicit about that this morning."

The recipient of the text responded: "Yes but I don't know how to be around him after what he did to me yesterday. I don't know if I can stay with him."

Stephen replied that the man, believed to be Mr Depp, was "distraught."

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Miss Heard responded: "Obviously he has no idea what he did or the extent that he did it. If someone was truly honest with him about how bad it really was, he'd be appalled.

"I'm sad that he doesn't have a better way to really know the severity of his actions yesterday. Unfortunately for me, I remember in full detail everything that happened."

Stephen allegedly reiterates that the man purported to be Mr Depp has no recollection of the events that occurred.

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"He was appalled," Stephen writes. "When I told him he kicked you, he cried. It was disgusting. And he knows it.

"He's a little lost boy. And needs all the help he can get. He is so very sorry, as he should be."

Miss Heard then replied: "He's done this many times before. Tokyo, the island, London (remember that?!), and I always stay. Always believe he's going to get better...And then every 3 or so month, I'm in the exact same position."

The Telegraph has approached Depp's representatives about the allegations. But they declined to comment.

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Mr Depp's divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, has dismissed accusations of violence. In court documents she said that Miss Heard is "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse."

But the conversation, published on Wednesday came hours after a friend of Miss Heard said that the Oscar-nominated actor had also once attempted to smother his wife with a pillow.

A friend of Miss Heard told The New York Post that the Oscar-nominated actor attacked her in December, resulting in the friend receiving a desperate text message calling for her help.

"I got to her apartment to find her with a cut and bruised lip, a swollen eye and a chunk of hair missing from the top of her head," the friend recalled.

"This incident really stuck with me because she confided in me that day that she feared for her life after an intoxicated Johnny tried to suffocate her with a pillow."

"I have personally witnessed the aftermath of Johnny Depp's violent and abusive behavior towards her on many occasions," the confidante said.

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Samantha Spector, Miss Heard's lawyer, issued a statement on Tuesday saying that her client "has suffered through years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of Johnny." The pair married 15 months ago, having met in 2009 on the set of The Rum Diary.

Miss Heard, 30, filed for divorce from Mr Depp, 52, on May 23. She has accused him of domestic violence and appeared outside court sporting what seemed to be a large bruise on her face, and has taken out a restraining order.

And Ms Spector rubbished Mr Depp's friends' insistence that it was in fact Miss Heard was violent to her husband.

"In domestic violence cases, it is not unusual for the perpetrator's playbook to include miscasting the victim as the villain," said Ms Spector.

"In reality, Amber acted no differently than many victims of domestic violence, who think first of the harm that might come to the abuser, rather than the abuse they have already suffered.

"Amber can no longer endure the relentless attacks and outright lies launched against her character in the court of public opinion.

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"Hopefully Johnny will get the help that he so desperately needs."

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