Amber Heard testified in a defamation case on Monday that she filed for divorce from Johnny Depp the next year because she was concerned she wouldn’t be able to survive physical abuse.
Heard said she went public with her allegations against Depp in order to seek “justice and safety,” adding that after the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star threw a phone at her, she took action.
Despite her best attempts, she added, the experience made her realise their marriage was “falling apart.”
“I knew I had to leave him,” she said. “I knew I wouldn’t survive it if I didn’t.
“I made the decision to file for divorce,” she added. “It was hard because I loved Johnny so much.”
Jurors saw photographs of Heard with redness and swelling on her face, which she said was the result of being struck by the phone.
“By that time, the violence had become routine rather than exceptional,” Heard added.
At this stage in their relationship, “the abuse was now normal rather than unusual,” Heard stated.
During an earlier hearing, Depp claimed that he never physically assaulted Heard or any other woman, and that she was actually the abusive partner.