Johnny Depp libel trial: Amber Heard 'drunk two bottles of wine a night' while actor was tee-total, court hears
Film star Johnny Depp’s former estate manager today claimed Amber Heard “drank two bottles of wine a night” in 2014 while the Pirates of the Caribbean star was tee-total.
Ben King said he was informed that Depp “had been a drinker” when he was first hired in London in 2014, but was told the actor was in recovery and not drinking alcohol at the time.
He said he saw “a relatively large number of cases of wine” at the property Depp was staying at with then-wife Heard in London.
“You found it strange given you had been told Mr Depp was tee-total”, said Sasha Wass QC to Mr King, who said he believed Heard was drinking but did not see Depp touch a drop.
“You reached the conclusion that Ms Heard drank two bottles of wine a night?”, asked Ms Wass.
Mr King replied: “It says in my statement that it was a regular occurrence but not every night.”
He said he “made a mental tally” of the number of bottles of wine being drunk, in case he needed to restock, adding that he believed only one person was enjoying the alcohol.
“Apart from the tally up of the wine, I could see wine glasses in the morning”, he said.
Mr King worked for Depp as an estate manager in 2014 in London, in Australia in 2015, and the following year in Vancouver.
He said he had never witnessed violence between Depp and Heard, but had seen wine on the floor and smashed glasses during the stay in Australia.
Depp, 57, is locked in a blockbuster court fight with The Sun’s publishers, News Group Newspapers, after the star was dubbed a ‘wife beater’ in a 2018 article by executive editor Dan Wootton.
Heard, 34, claims she was subjected to repeated bouts of violence fuelled by drink and drugs, but Depp insists the claims are all invented as a #MeToo hoax.
Later today, actress Winona Ryder is due to give evidence in support of Depp, her former fiancé in the early 1990s.
The Stranger Things star, 48, has already told US court proceedings that she finds it “impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true.”
“I find it extremely upsetting knowing him as I do”, she said in her US statement.
Ms Ryder, who is due to give evidence via videolink from Los Angeles, is expected to give evidence in support of her former partner.
Also due to give evidence in support of Depp is Katherine Kendall, an actress who has accused disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of preying on her and is part of the #MeToo movement.
She was quoted in The Sun’s article at the centre of the case and has complained of how her comments were portrayed.
“I never meant to be in an article that called Johnny Depp a ‘wife beater’”, she said in the complaint to the newspaper which appears in court documents.
“I told you that I didn’t know that to be true at all! I have heard SEVERAL times that she was in fact abusive to him. He’s never been a convicted ‘wife beater’.
“It seems that the whole article was about defaming him. I said over and over that I didn’t KNOW that he had caused her harm.
“Even a picture only makes it ‘seem’ so. I’m telling you that you misquoted me and intentionally took things I said out of context in what I now realise was your purpose in defaming Johnny Depp.
“I told you I have heard Amber Heard hit him, which is why as you know I don’t condone ‘any’ violence. You have improperly tried to use the #MeToo movement for your purposes by using me in this way.”
The trial continues.
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