’s security guard alleged that ‘punched’ the Pirates of the Caribbean actor in the face as he took to the stand in the former couple’s defamation trial.
over an op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post in 2018, discussing being a survivor of domestic violence.
While the article does not mention him by name, his lawyers have said that it falsely implies that he physically and sexually abused her – while the 36-year-old is countersuing for $100million (£76m), claiming her former partner libeled her by calling her a liar.
Appearing via video link in the Fairfax Virginia Courthouse from LA earlier today, security guard Travis McGivern told the jury that Heard once punched her ex-husband in the face, recalling how ‘shocked’ his client was.
He said that the alleged row took place on March 23, 2015, and testified that he ‘heard and saw a closed fist contact Mr Depp in the left side of his face’, noting that it was Heard’s fist.
‘The initial look on his face kind of mirrored mine, kind of a look of shock,’ he claimed.
‘My job is [to] ensure the safety and wellbeing of my clients, and I felt like I hadn’t done that’.
He claimed that Depp ‘had a nice little shiner’ from the alleged punch and that his face was red and swollen – but that he never retaliated in the ‘incident’.
During that same argument at their LA penthouse, McGivern said that he saw Heard throw a can of Red Bull which struck Depp in the back.
‘The verbal onslaught continued, from both of them,’ he said, and told the court that Depp was ‘giving as good as he got’.
He said that Heard then threw something else and at ‘one point she spit’.
Speaking to the court, he recalled their argument included ‘lots of name-calling and F bombs’.
The security guard said that Heard would refer to Depp as a ‘f**king deadbeat dad’, f**king washed up’ and a ‘f**king c***, which [Depp] called her as well’.
‘You name it, she’s spewed it,’ he said, adding that he didn’t remember what the argument was about, but ‘the F-word is my favorite word and it was being thrown around to the point where I was uncomfortable.’
The trial, which began with jury selection on April 11, is expected to last around seven weeks.
Depp has taken the stand at the courthouse alongside various witnesses, and their former couple’s therapist.
in the defense but reports now suggest that she will be the second on the stand as her team ‘shifts tactics’.
The trial continues.
