Celebrity Couples

Johnny Depp Claims Amber Heard Physically Abused Him

After Amber Heard claimed ex-husband Johnny Depp threw an iPhone at her face, Depp filed court […]

After Amber Heard claimed ex-husband Johnny Depp threw an iPhone at her face, Depp filed court documents alleging that Heard assaulted him during the time they were married, punching him twice in the face in 2016.

Johnny Depp Amber Heard

In the documents obtained by PEOPLE, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor disputes the accusation that he was violent toward Heard. The new documents were filed by Depp as part of a libel case in the U.K.

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The 55-year-old claims Heard assaulted him after he arrived almost two hours late to her 30th birthday dinner on April 21, 2016. Depp claimed in the documents that he had a meeting with his business manager and accountants before the dinner but kept Heard updated by text.

He claims that when he did arrive at the birthday dinner, Heard was “cold towards” him and that after guests left she began “criticizing” him. The document claims that Depp was reading in bed when the Friday Night Lights star, who he said had been drinking, allegedly became “aggressive and violent, punching him twice in the face.” Depp allegedly responded day “grabbing [her] arms to stop her punching him again and told her to stop.” He claims he pushed her onto the bed and told her he was leaving and not to follow him.

Heard’s attorney denied the claims to PEOPLE, saying, “These allegations are totally false. One needs only read the recent Rolling Stone article about Mr. Depp to understand his state of mind. Mr. Depp is currently being sued in multiple venues, including for assaulting a location manager on the set of City of Lies. On many occasions, eyewitnesses observed the extent of the abuse Mr. Depp inflicted on Ms. Heard.”

Depp is currently being sued by a location manager from his upcoming film City of Lies; the manager alleges Depp punched him on set. Director Brad Furman called the alleged incident “exaggerated” and Depp a “consummate professional.”

Depp’s recent court filings also include his version of events from the night of May 21, 2016, of which Heard claims Depp threw an iPhone at her face. Depp strongly contests her allegation, saying that he “tossed the phone on to the sofa and crossed the room away from Ms. Heard…The phone did not hit Ms. Heard on the face or elsewhere.”

Depp alleges that responding officers who interviewed Heard “saw no injuries or bruising or swelling” and when Heard was asked what happened, she said, “nothing.” Depp filed two depositions by police officers to support his claims.

Heard filed for divorce against Depp on May 23, 2016, requesting a temporary domestic violence restraining order against him four days later, which a judge granted. She submitted a photo that appeared to show her with a bruise under her eye as evidence and said that on May 21, 2016, Depp threw a cellphone at her, “striking my cheek and eye with great force.”

She also claimed that Depp arrived to her birthday dinner inebriated and high and that their discussion after guests left turned violent. “Johnny grabbed me by the hair and violently shoved me to the floor,” Heard stated. “Johnny was also screaming and threatening me, taunting me to stand up.”

Depp is suing the British newspaper The Sun for libel after one of its writers, Dan Wooton, wrote that Depp was a “wife-beater” in an article. Depp is also suing Wooton. He is asking for £200,000 in addition to £10,528 in legal fees.

Depp and Heard married in February 2015 on a private island after meeting in 2011. Heard filed for divorce after 15 months of marriage. They reached a settlement in August 2016 and were officially divorced in January 2017.