Previously unseen reality TV footage of Amber Heard’s sister, Whitney Henriquez, was shown in London’s High Court today.
Whitney took the witness stand again today, in an effort to help News Group Newspapers defend an article in The Sun which labelled Johnny a “wife beater”.
The actor has vehemently denied physically abusing his ex-wife Amber, and has defended himself by accusing her of being the abuser during their relationship.
After four days of hearing from Amber Heard, her sister took the stand yesterday – and told London’s High Court that she has never been hit by her sister, and was not “frightened” of her.
However, Johnny Depp’s barrister David Sherborne told the court this morning that they had received a video from a “confidential source” that allegedly proves Amber was violent towards her sister.
In the video, which was recorded in 2006 or 2007, Whitney is seen with some other women by a pool when she says she “got into an altercation”.
A woman then says, “I can’t believe Amber beat your ass. I know you could beat her ass,” before later asking, “Whitney truth or dare? Did you really start the fight with your sister? Or did she start it? For real, for real, for real.”
When Whitney replies, “We’re not going to talk about that”, the woman says, “She really did whoop your butt.”
In response to the video, NGN’s lawyer Sasha Wass said the clip showed “no evidence of any injuries”.
However, Johnny’s legal team believe the video “demonstrates Ms Whitney (Henriquez) was lying yesterday,” as she testified that Amber has never hit her.
When questioned about the footage in court today, Whitney denied there was a “physical fight” and said the show’s producers were “trying to make a narrative that wasn’t there”.
Whitney was also questioned about a mark that appeared on her chest in the footage, but Amber’s sister denied being injured in the video.
Speaking in court today, Johnny’s barrister David Sherborne said: “After she [Whitney] gave evidence yesterday, one of our team was contacted by an individual, on the basis of being kept confidential.”
“We were contacted to explain that Ms Amber Heard had a history of violence and attacking people and this video, which was attached, of her sister Whitney was taken shortly after Amber Heard had attacked her and Ms Whitney was filmed with people commenting on the bruises on her face and body.”
The video came to light after Whitney told the court yesterday that she witnessed Johnny hit Amber “really hard in the head … multiple times” in March 2015.
Whitney was questioned about the incident in court, after Amber claimed she had hit Johnny “for the first time” during that row, in order to “defend” her sister.
In court this week, Amber alleged: “He was about to push her down the stairs and the moment before that happened, I remembered information I had heard that he pushed a former girlfriend — I believe it was Kate Moss — down the stairs.”
“I will never forget this incident,” she added. “It was the first time after all these years.”
David Sherborne brought up the incident again this morning, after Johnny’s legal team uncovered the video of Whitney – which was filmed following an “altercation” with her sister.
He told Mr Justice Nicol: “In the context of the attack, what I will call ‘the stairs incident’, and the evidence we say of the attack by Ms Amber Heard on Mr Depp, Ms Whitney (Henriquez) you will recall protested that it was only in self-defence and it is the one physical attack that Ms Amber Heard admits to.”
He then stated that Whitney was asked on Thursday “whether Ms Amber Heard was violent”, and Whitney replied by claiming the stairs incident was a “one-off”.
The lawyer added that this particular incident was “the only occasion on which any other human being is supposed to have witnessed” Johnny be physically violent towards Amber.
“The reliability of Ms Whitney is critical,” he added, “Evidence that Ms Heard was violent towards her sister is relevant to that issue.”
“We are entitled to put [allegations of] violence to Ms Whitney… we want to play the video tape to her and ask her about the incident in which Ms Amber Heard attacked her.”
“Had we received this before the end of yesterday, we would have been entitled to put [the allegation] to her and we would be entitled to rely on it in our closing submissions.”
“Not only did Amber Heard physically assault her sister, but that the injuries suffered by Whitney are being examined by the women in the video. There is no denial that Ms Amber Heard beat up her sister Whitney.”
“At one point she visibly demonstrates her arm and her elbow to the woman asking the questions,” he added.
NGN have been defending the 2018 “wife beater” article by claiming Johnny was “controlling and verbally and physically abusive” towards Amber – particularly when he was “under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs”.
Lawyers for NGN are basing their defence on Amber’s 14 allegations of abuse, which include claims of bust-ups between 2013 and 2016.
The Pirates of the Caribbean star has continuously denied allegations, and is suing the publisher – claiming the article was an attempt to “finish his career”.
The case is due to finish next week, with closing submissions from both sides’ legal teams on Monday and Tuesday.
