Accusations and purported evidence are now coming fast and furious in the increasingly nasty divorce of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp.
ET Online has secured text messages from 2014, reportedly between Heard and Depp’s assistant Stephen Deuters, which seem to chronicle an abuse incident and refer to many others. These texts, if real, were exchanged before Depp and Heard were even married. (ET was not able to independently verify if the texts had been edited, or confirm the texters’ identities.)
READ MORE: Amber Heard gets restraining order against Johnny Depp, citing domestic violence
The text exchange, which ET claims is from May 2014, starts with a text from a person identified as “Stephen,” who apologizes on behalf of a man, assumed to be Depp.
What follows are the texts in the exchange, which seem to allude to abuse from Depp, who is “apologetic” and “distraught,” according to Stephen.
Heard — if it is actually Heard texting here — makes reference to multiple incidents in various locations, like Tokyo, “the island,” and London. That would corroborate the information she gave to the Los Angeles Police Department when she initially filed for divorce on May 23, and when she filed for a restraining order shortly afterwards. Heard, 30, also submitted a statement to the LAPD to further document her case.
READ MORE: Vanessa Paradis, Johnny Depp’s ex, says he is not physically abusive
On Wednesday, Heard gave People magazine new photos showcasing further alleged abuse at the hands of Depp, 52.
In the pictures, which are from an alleged violent argument in December 2015, Heard has what appears to be a split lip, bruises and possibly a black eye.
Samantha F. Spector and Joseph P. Koenig, the lawyers representing Heard, said she kept the recent alleged abuse from the LAPD because she didn’t want to harm Depp’s reputation or career.
READ MORE: Amber Heard’s lawyers give statement to LAPD about alleged Johnny Depp abuse
Depp’s team has accused Heard of fabricating the abuse in order to make money. The divorcing couple didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement, and Depp is estimated to be worth upwards of US$400 million.
Depp is trying to ensure that many of his assets stay his. He specifically noted “miscellaneous jewelry,” earnings made after their separation and, as stipulated in his response, “there are additional separate property assets and obligations of the parties, the exact nature and extent of which are not presently known.”
READ MORE: New Amber Heard photos allegedly show earlier Johnny Depp abuse
California law stipulates that any divorcing couple without a prenup will divide joint assets in half.
The marriage was Depp’s second and Heard’s first, and the pair has no children together. They met while filming The Rum Diary in 2011, and were married for about 15 months.
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