5 times Johnny Depp raised concerns about Amber Heard, before the trial: from his ‘frightened’ words to fans in 2016, to his parents’ disapproval, depression battles and emotional interviews

May 25 , 2022

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at court. Photos: AFP, Reuters

Before the infamous court case, the Pirates of the Caribbean star said that he spoke up to defend himself publicly for the sake of his kids, Lily-Rose and Jack

A video of Depp at an Alice Through The Looking Glass premiere has gone viral, where he talks about how he was ‘scared’ – though he doesn’t mention Heard’s name

The defamation trial brought against Amber Heard by her ex-husband Johnny Depp has left millions enthralled as shock testimonies and intimate details about their relationship have been revealed to the world. Clear teams have developed too, with social media sleuths going out of their way to try and prove inconsistencies in both Heard and Depp’s testimonies.

The couple met on the set of The Rum Diary in 2009 and got married in 2015. Heard filed for divorce 15 months later. In 2018, after they split, Heard wrote an op-ed on domestic violence published on The Washington Post. Although she did not name Depp, it was widely speculated that the essay was about him and it forms the basis of the defamation trial against her, with Depp claiming her abuse allegations led to him being blacklisted by Hollywood.

While the trial has received much attention, we take a look back at some of the things Depp had previously said about Heard during their tumultuous relationship – and his possible fears for his safety.

Johnny Depp spoke about being scared

Old footage of Depp on the red carpet for the London premiere of Alice Through The Looking Glass has resurfaced and gone viral, as it shows Depp talking about fearing for his life. In the clip from the interview, he’s asked what his message was for his fans.

He responded: “I’m scared to death. I’m frightened. I don’t know what to do. I’m confused and I want to go home.” At the time, the comments did not make headlines as Depp was known to make obscure comments that had little context.

But the footage was taken in May 2016, while Depp and Heard were married from 2015 to 2017. Depp fans have now connected his past comments to his testimony at the trial that Heard was abusive towards him.

Depp’s family were worried

Amber Heard arrives with her now ex-husband Johnny Depp for the screening of the movie The Danish Girl presented in competition at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, in September 2015, at Venice Lido. Photo: AFP

In a widely publicised 2018 article in Rolling Stone, the magazine reported that Depp’s family did not like Heard and they pleaded with him not to marry her. According to the article, Depp’s relationship with his sister Christi was damaged as a result of his marriage to Heard while a source is quoted as saying that Depp “cut himself off” from the people who cared for him.

Depp admitted he was depressed and drank alcohol

Actor Johnny Depp talks to his lawyer Ben Chew during his defamation case against ex-wife, actor Amber Heard, in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 23. Photo: Reuters

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Depp admitted that he hit rock bottom after his divorce from Heard and in the face of other legal troubles, saying, “I was as low as I believe I could have gotten.” He said he couldn’t take the pain and decided to write a memoir, explaining how he would pour himself a vodka in the morning and was so emotional and teary that he could not see the page. He added that he battled to understand how the divorce and his legal issues were happening, as he believed he had done his best to show kindness to everyone.