A former personal assistant to Amber Heard has told a United States court the actress would send her "barrages of abusive text messages" and once went into a "blind rage" at her.
The allegations came on the latest day of actor Johnny Depp's legal battle against his former wife, which also saw one of Depp's key witnesses have her testimony slashed from the record.
The actor sued Heard for defamation over an article she wrote in 2018 about being a domestic abuse survivor. While the article didn't name Depp, he believes it clearly referenced him and ruined his career. Heard has countersued, claiming Depp has begun a smear campaign against her.
She alleges that Depp was physically abusive towards her, but Depp argues it was the other way around.
Kate James, who worked for Heard between 2012 and 2015, reportedly told the Virginia court on Thursday (local time) that the Aquaman actress often had "manic episodes", was "belligerent" and would send "barrages of abusive text messages" at all time of the day and night.
James claimed Heard screamed at her when she asked for a greater pay rise.
"She leapt out of her chair and put her face approximately four inches from my face, spitting in my face, how dare I ask for the salary I'm asking for," James told the court.
On one occasion, James said Heard found magazines lying around the house that were meant to be stored in a garage. The former assistant said the actress went into a "blind rage".
She described Depp as a "total Southern gentleman" and "peaceful". Depp would give her son guitar lessons and bring him gifts, James said.
James said she never witnessed any physical altercations between Heard and Depp, but the actress did contact her in distress after a flight in May 2014. Heard alleges that Depp kicked her on that flight.
Lawyers for Heard reportedly tried to paint James as being a scorned ex-employee. James said she felt "blindsided" by Heard's decision to let her go in 2015, after the actress said she needed to dismiss her in order to look after her unwell mother.
James also admitted her requests to be on Depp's payroll and stay at one of Depp's houses were denied.
After Depp and Heard separated in 2016, Depp met with James. In a text to James prior, the Pirates of the Carribean actor said "we'll fix her flabby ass nice and good".
A former marriage counsellor to the two stars also spoke to the court describing "mutual abuse" between the pair.
"It was a point of pride to Heard, if she felt disrespected, to initiate a fight," Dr Laurel Anderson said. "If he was going to leave her to de-escalate a fight, she would strike him to keep him there. She would rather be in a fight to keep him there."
Also on Thursday, Georgina Deuters, the partner of one of Depp's long-time collaborators, took the stand. She said Depp acted "jovial" when using drugs. It's been alleged that Depp would get abusive while under the influence.
Deuters also described an instance at Heard and Depp's wedding in 2015 where the actress offered her MDMA.
Following that, Heard's lawyers intervened, calling for a private meeting with the judge. Judge Penney Azcarate then asked Deuters if she had watched any of the prior testimony online, to which Deuters said she had seen some clips.
The judge dismissed Deuters and struck her testimony from the record.
This is the second trial regarding allegations Depp abused Heard. He sued The Sun newspaper after it referred to him as a "wife-beater". In 2020, a London judge ruled lawyers for the British tabloid had proven the article was "substantially true".
The current defamation trial, which began on Monday, is expected to last about six weeks. Among the potential witnesses are Heard's ex-boyfriend and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk as well as actor James Franco.
