Advertisement

Kate Moss to testify in Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard

Kate Moss to testify in Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard

Kate Moss will be called to testify on behalf of Johnny Depp during his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.

The model, who dated Depp between 1994 and 1997, will testify via video link as a rebuttal witness on Wednesday, a Depp source confirmed to EW. The addition comes after Heard referenced Moss during her second day of testimony on May 5 while recounting the first time she struck Depp.

In the testimony, Heard insinuated that Depp once pushed Moss down a flight of stairs. During an altercation at their home in 2015, Heard testified, her younger sister Whitney Henriquez got between her and Depp in attempt to diffuse the situation. The actress testified that her sister stood at the top of the stairs when Depp approached and allegedly swung at her.

She yelled "Don't hit my f---ing sister," per previous deposition, adding in her testimony earlier this month, "I don't hesitate. I just instantly think of Kate Moss and the stairs, and I swung at him. In all my relationships to date, I hadn't [delivered] a blow. For the first time, I hit him square in the face." (Heard also testified about the rumors in Depp's U.K. libel suit, telling the court, "It was fresh in my mind.") Moss did not testify in the U.K. libel lawsuit.

Johnny Depp and Kate Moss during "Don Juan De Marco" Beverly Hills Premiere at The Academy in Beverly Hills, California, United States.
Johnny Depp and Kate Moss during "Don Juan De Marco" Beverly Hills Premiere at The Academy in Beverly Hills, California, United States.

Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Johnny Depp and Kate Moss

When Heard referenced Moss on the stand earlier this month, Depp's attorney Benjamin Chew looked pleased about the anecdote. Legal experts have said that Heard's reference allowed Depp's team to address the rumors.

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed she wrote chronicling her experiences as a domestic violence survivor. Though Heard never mentions Depp by name, his lawyers argue that references to their client (and Heard's previous abuse allegations following their 2017 divorce) are clear, claiming the essay damaged Depp's career and reputation. Heard filed a $100 million countersuit, claiming Depp and his legal team defamed her by calling her allegations false.

Heard finished her time on the stand last week, doubling down on allegations that Depp physically and sexually assaulted her and that her op-ed at the center of the trial is not about Depp. It only reflects her personal experiences after she became associated with domestic violence, she testified. Depp finished his time on the stand last month, alleging that Heard was violent towards him and had a "need for violence."

Related content: