Johnny Depp’s Sister Testifies Amber Heard Relationship Made Him a ‘Very Sad’ Person

A second day of testimony in Johnny Depp’s defamation case got underway Wednesday with his sister testifying that the “Pirates” star suffered abuse from their mother, and was a “very sad” person during his troubled marriage to now ex-wife Amber Heard.

Christi Dembrowski, Depp’s older sibling and personal manager, began her testimony Tuesday and returned Wednesday for cross-examination. When Heard’s attorney’s questioned Dembrowski about Depp’s allegedly toxic behavior and aggressive text messages he sent in May 2014, she didn’t recall the conversation but told the court, “I wanted to be able to be helpful … because they were arguing all the time.”

Dembrowski began her Tuesday testimony by detailing abuse they suffered from their mother: “She would hit us, she would throw things.” Dembrowski said Depp never hit his mom back, instead “he would get away.”

She told the jury that Depp and Heard had many problems in their marriage and she believed Depp was a “very sad” person during that time. But she denied claims by Heard’s attorneys that he was engaged in excessive drug and alcohol use.

The trial’s opening day was filled with mud-slinging from both sides. During opening statements, Depp’s attorneys said Heard concocted stories of abuse because he “wanted out” of the relationship. Heard’s attorneys fired back during their opening statements saying Depp was punishing Heard because she wanted a divorce. 

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million, claiming she libeled him in a 2018 op-ed piece in the Washington Post, derailing his career and costing him a lucrative role in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. Heard didn’t name Depp in the article but she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”

Depp’s attorney Ben Chew said for decades Depp’s name was associated with “success at the box office. Today, his name is associated with a lie, a false statement uttered by his former wife.” Chew said no one ever accused Depp of being violent and this is “a case about how devastating words can be when they are false and uttered publicly.”

Heard’s attorneys claim she had a right to free speech and “Amber did suffer abuse.” Heard’s attorney’s told the jury she suffered physical, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse throughout their marriage, saying Depp was prone to drug and alcohol induced blackouts and that he sexually assaulted her. Her attorney, Ben Rottenborn, called Depp’s violent alter-ego “the monster.”

Heard filed a $100 million counterclaim for defamation for statements made by Depp’s attorney Adam Waldman. Co-council Elaine Bredehoft showed the court statements where Waldman called Heard’s story “Abuse hoax” and said his comments were “tremendously damaging to Amber” and her career.

Bredehoft told the jury that after starring in the box office smash “Aquaman,” Heard’s co-stars were offered opportunities and she wasn’t. In addition, it’s the “emotional impacts of being called a liar.” Bredehoft claims Heard was trying to move on with her life and was “retriggered.”

Both Depp and Heard are expected to take the stand during the trial, which is expected to last six weeks.