Johnny Depp is denying a claim asserted by Amber Heard’s lawyer that he attempted to get her fired from Aquaman, amid a trial of dueling defamation lawsuits.
Heard’s lawyer, Benjamin Rottenborn, brought up a text message allegedly from Depp stating, “I want her replaced on that WB film!!!”
Depp denied the assertion that he tried to get her fired from Aquaman, but did state he felt responsible for telling “the truth to Warner Bros. about what they were going to end up facing down the line.”
“I had given my word to them, and I felt responsible that I had to tell them exactly what was going on and that it was going to end up ugly,” Depp said.
Earlier Wednesday, Depp testified he helped Heard get the Aquaman role by talking her up to three WB executives.
Walter Hamada, a WB exec who is in charge of the DC films division, testified Tuesday that although the studio considered replacing her in the franchise at one point, that was due to a perceived lack of chemistry between her and co-star Jason Momoa. Hamada also denied any bad press by Depp or his lawyers negatively affected Heard’s role, such as not getting as much pay or the part being scaled down for the sequel.
Depp testified Wednesday as his own rebuttal witness after previously wrapping up four days of testimony in late April, under direct and cross-examination.
The court battle centers on an op-ed Heard wrote for the Washington Post in 2018, in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Though Depp isn’t named in the article, Heard made prior allegations of abuse against Depp in 2016, which he claims are false and are referenced in the piece.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for defamation for allegedly false domestic abuse accusations she made against him that he said hurt his career. Heard is counter-suing Depp, also for defamation, for $100 million.
While Heard maintains she was abused by Depp, Depp claims just the opposite: he was abused by her and not the other way around.