Actor Johnny Depp “threatened to kill” ex-wife Amber Heard “many times”, the US actress has claimed.
She described a “three-day hostage situation” during which she claimed Mr Depp was on a “drug and alcohol binge”.
Mr Depp, 57, is suing the publisher of the Sun over an article that referred to him as a “wife beater” – but the newspaper maintains it was accurate.
He denies 14 allegations of domestic violence on which News Group Newspapers is relying for its defence.
Ms Heard took to the witness stand at London’s High Court on the 10th day of the case, and her written witness statement was also submitted to the court.
In it, she accused Mr Depp of verbal and physical abuse including screaming, swearing, issuing threats, punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking her, as well as “extremely controlling and intimidating behaviour”.
“Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally, or just by losing control and going too far,” she said.
Under cross-examination, Ms Heard later said that although there were times when she “lost her cool” with Mr Depp, it was only in self-defence.
‘The monster’
Ms Heard, 34, claimed Mr Depp had a “unique ability to use his charisma to convey a certain impression of reality” and “he is very good at manipulating people”.
“He would blame all his actions on a self-created third party instead of himself, which he often called ‘the monster’.
