Johnny Depp takes the stand: I’m obsessed with the truth

Los Angeles, April 20 (IANS): Hollywood star Johnny Depp took the stand in his defamation trial against former-wife Amber Heard, saying he was focused on “clearing the record” regarding allegations that he engaged in domestic violence.
“Truth is the only thing I’m interested in. Lies will get you nowhere, but lies build upon lies and build upon lies,” Depp said on Tuesday afternoon, reports ‘Variety’. “I’m obsessed with the truth.”
Under questioning from his own lawyer, Depp denied that he had ever been violent with Heard, or with any other woman.
Heard has accused Depp of striking her, choking her and kicking her on several occasions over the course of their relationship. She has also alleged that Depp once sexually assaulted her during a fight in Australia in 2015.
Depp and Heard divorced in 2016.
In December 2018, Heard published an opinion piece in the Washington Post in which she alluded to her prior allegations, though she did not identify Depp by name. Depp sued her for $50 million.
“I felt it my responsibility to stand up not only for myself in that instance, but stand up for my children,” Depp testified, speaking very deliberately on the witness stand.
“I thought it was diabolical that my children would have to go to school and have their friends or people in the school approach them with the infamous People magazine cover with Ms. Heard with a dark bruise on her face.”
Depp said the allegations against him were “quite heinous and disturbing,” and “not based in any species of truth”.
“It’s very strange when one day, you’re Cinderella and in 0.6 seconds you’re Quasimodo,” he said.