Amber Heard and girlfriend Bianca Butti arrive at the High Court

‘I can’t believe Amber beat your a**’: High Court sees Amber Heard’s sister revealing marks on her arms and neck caused by the actress in 2006 footage that Johnny Depp’s lawyers say proves she lied on stand

  • Heard’s sister Whitney Henriquez went back on the stand today one day after passionately backing sibling
  • But there was drama in the High Court this morning as Depp’s lawyer claimed had been texting her sister  
  • And new video emerges that Depp’s lawyers claims proves Whitney lied about Amber being violent to her 
  • Heard has accused Pirates of the Caribbean star of verbal and physical abuse throughout their relationship 
  • Depp says at High Court libel trial in London he was not violent towards her and it was she who attacked him
  • Actress’ acting coach claims Depp vetoed ‘whore parts’ in movies and wanted to ‘destroy’ her if she left him

By Mark Duell and Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter and Vivek Chaudhary For Mailonline

Published: 05:00 EDT, 24 July 2020 | Updated: 10:18 EDT, 24 July 2020

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A bombshell video showing Amber Heard’s sister allowing friends to inspect ‘bruises on her face and body’ after the actress ‘whipped her a**’ proves that Whitney Henriquez lied under oath, Johnny Depp’s legal team told the High Court today. 

Ms Henriquez took the stand this afternoon to explain the previously unseen reality TV clip from 2006 or 2007 – less than 24 hours after she gave evidence claiming Amber had never been violent towards her.  

Mr Depp’s barrister David Sherborne told the court that a ‘confidential source’ handed them the clip after Ms Henriquez’ spell in the witness box yesterday because it describes a physical fight between the sisters. He said the material ‘demonstrates Ms Whitney (Henriquez) was lying yesterday’.

In the video, she can be seen talking to a group of women around a swimming pool. Whitney admits to an altercation with her sister, adding: ‘I have already talked about it, I won’t talk about it anymore.’ One woman then says to Whitney: ‘I can’t believe Amber beat your a**. I know you can beat her a**.’

One woman asks her: ‘Did you really start the fight with your sister? Or did she start it?’. Whitney then says repeatedly: ‘I don’t want to talk about it,’ when she is asked about the incident. Another woman adds: ‘She really did whip your a**.’  She then inspects Whitney’s arms and neck, where a mark is visible. Whitney shows her arms and elbows with the woman also holding up her chin, as if she is examining an injury. 

Eleanor Laws QC, representing Depp questioned Whitney about the video today, and Ms Henriquez denied that the video proved that Heard physically attacked her but admitted that they did have a verbal argument. 

Whitney yesterday passionately backed her sister Heard and saying Depp repeatedly attacked her – including once when she saw the actor grab her by the hair and hit her in the face – and Amber was ‘never violent’ towards her.

Mr Sherborne said today’s bombshell video must be shown in court because the reliability of Ms Whitney (Henriquez) is critical’ to the case.

Whitney Henriquez allows a friend to inspect her chest in a video where the group say Amber Heard had 'whipped her a**' .  Giving evidence today witness insists it was about a verbal row not a physical one

Whitney Henriquez allows a friend to inspect her chest in a video where the group say Amber Heard had 'whipped her a**' .  Giving evidence today witness insists it was about a verbal row not a physical one

Whitney Henriquez allows a friend to inspect her chest in a video where the group say Amber Heard had ‘whipped her a**’ .  Giving evidence today witness insists it was about a verbal row not a physical one

Amber Heard arrives at court today

Amber Heard arrives at court today

Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London this morning for Johnny Depp's libel case to continue. But proceedings were paused as Mr Depp's legal team claims Amber was texting her sister Whitney (right) while she gave evidence

Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London this morning for Johnny Depp's libel case to continue. But proceedings were paused as Mr Depp's legal team claims Amber was texting her sister Whitney (right) while she gave evidence

Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London this morning for Johnny Depp’s libel case to continue. But proceedings were paused as Mr Depp’s legal team  also claims Amber was texting her sister Whitney (right) while she gave evidence after a bombshell video emerged

Johnny Depp waves as he arrives to attend his libel trial against News Group Newspapers at London’s High Court yesterday

Bombshell video of Amber Heard’s sister ‘after attack’ that has rocked the Johnny Depp libel trial 

Here is a transcript of a video sent to Johnny Depp’s legal team from a ‘confidential source’ which the actor’s lawyers say shows Amber Heard ‘attacked’ her sister, Whitney Henriquez.

The ‘WH’ in the transcript below is Whitney Henriquez, Ms Heard’s sister, who has also been referred to in court by her maiden name, Whitney Heard.

[Indiscernible talking]

Female 1: Did you get into a fight or something?

WH: Oh ah ha thank you.

Female 2: An altercation.

WH: Got into an altercation.

Female 1: [Indiscernible] Oh.

WH: Already talked about. Won’t talk about it anymore.

Female 1: I can’t believe Amber beat your a**. I know you could beat her a**.

WH: We’re not gonna talk about that.

Female 1: Whitney truth or dare? Did you really start the fight with your sister? Or did she start it? For real for real for real.

WH: We’re not gonna talk about that.

Female 1: She really did woop your butt.

WH: Oh we are not talking about it.

Female 1: Yes, I’m done. I guess I’m done talking about it.

[Indiscernible]

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Whitney said: ‘That was a really bad reality show we were referencing a verbal argument that my sister and I had the night before’. Ms Laws responded: ‘A real argument which you must have described off camera which is why they were talking about it on camera.’

When asked about a woman in the video talking about Heard attacking her, Whitney replied: ‘That person was trying to make a story line, albeit a bad one, interesting. She was trying to create a narrative that was not there.’

Whitney insisted that there were no marks on her face and that she did not have any injuries to her body.

Explaining why she did not want to discuss anything with the women in the video, Whitney said: ‘I had no interest in bringing a verbal fight with my sister, a personal matter to me and bringing it on camera’.

Ms Laws accused Whitney of lying and alleged: ‘You had a physical fight with your sister, and she got the better of you.’   

Ms Heard was also accused of messaging Whitney during her evidence on Thursday in another extraordinary twist in her ex-husband Johnny Depp’s libel trial in London. All witnesses, including Whitney, have all been ordered by judge Mr Justice Nicol not to communicate with anybody while giving evidence.

As the 14th day of the biggest libel case of the 21st century began this morning, Mr Sherborne asked the judge to keep Whitney out of the court as they produced the new video. 

Mr Sherborne told the court that Ms Henriquez had ‘tailored’ her evidence ‘to meet her sister’s evidence’. The barrister added that Mr Depp’s legal team had been provided with ‘material which we say demonstrates Ms Whitney (Henriquez) was lying yesterday’. 

He said: ‘After she (Ms Henriquez) gave evidence yesterday, one of our team was contacted by an individual, on the basis of being kept confidential.’ He added: ‘We were contacted to explain that Ms Amber Heard had a history of violence and attacking people and this video, which was attached, of her sister Whitney (Henriquez) was taken shortly after Amber Heard had attacked her and Ms Whitney (Henriquez) was filmed with people commenting on the bruises on her face and body.’

The megastar actor’s legal team have also demanded that Ms Heard is not allowed to use her mobile while the court in more high drama at the Royal Courts of Justice this morning. 

The requests came before Ms Henriquez was due in the witness box this morning where she was due to finish her evidence in the biggest libel case of the 21st century. Mr Sherborne said: ‘We ask that Amber Herd be refrained from using her phone [while seated in court]. communication may be happening to Miss Whitney Heard as we speak.’ 

It comes after the High Court also heard yesterday that the drug-addled Hollywood legend scrawled messages to his wife in blood on lampshades, cushions, walls and a mirror, using his badly wounded finger as a paintbrush.

Johnny Depp v The Sun: Key issues in libel trial 

Hollywood star Johnny Depp’s libel claim against The Sun enters its second week on Monday. These are the key issues the trial judge, Mr Justice Nicol, has to determine.

– Whether the April 2018 article by the tabloid’s executive editor Dan Wootton was defamatory of Depp. Under the Defamation Act 2013, a statement is not defamatory unless its publication causes ‘serious harm to the reputation of the claimant’.

– The Sun’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), is defending the claim and relying on a defence of truth. It is for the publisher to prove that the allegations made in the article are ‘substantially true’.

– The meaning of the article, which is defined as what it would mean to the ‘reasonable reader’, will have to be determined by the judge. But NGN’s lawyers say the differences between the rival meanings contended by each side are ‘not significant’ and the outcome of the case will therefore not turn on meaning.

– Depp’s case is that the article bore the meaning that he was ‘guilty, on overwhelming evidence, of serious domestic violence against his then wife, causing significant injury and leading to her fearing for her life, for which he was constrained to pay no less than £5 million to compensate her, and which resulted in him being subjected to a continuing court restraining order; and for that reason is not fit to work in the film industry’. He strenuously denies the allegations and claims he ‘has never hit or committed any acts of physical violence against Ms Heard’.

– The meaning which NGN will seek to prove is true is that the Claimant beat his wife Amber Heard, causing her to suffer significant injury and on occasion leading her to fearing for her life. They rely on 14 separate allegations of violence and allege more generally that Depp was ‘controlling and verbally and physically abusive’ towards Ms Heard, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol and or drugs, throughout their relationship. NGN’s lawyers say an important issue for the judge to decide will be what substances Depp was using during the relationship. They contend that he frequently lost control of himself, partly because of his heavy drug and alcohol use, and also that his memory has been impaired by his heavy use of drugs.

– If Depp wins his case, the judge will have to decide what level of compensation he should receive for the harm to his reputation and for the ‘distress, hurt and humiliation caused’. There is an upper limit on general damages for libel of £300,000 to £325,000. However, if he succeeds, Depp may also be entitled to aggravated damages. The actor is also asking for a final injunction against NGN, who his legal team say ‘have retained the article on their website and maintained their allegation to the bitter end’.

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The claim was made at the outset of the 14th day of Mr Depp’s libel claim against The Sun over allegations he was violent to his ex-wife.   On Thursday, Ms Henriquez denied Ms Heard had ever hit her, or that she was ‘frightened’ of her sister.

She also gave evidence she saw Mr Depp punch Ms Heard ‘really hard in the head … multiple times’ in Los Angeles in March 2015 in the so-called ‘stairs incident’.

Ms Henriquez admitted that Ms Heard punched Mr Depp on that occasion, but only did so ‘in my defence’ because her sister believed the actor was going to push her down the stairs. 

Mr Depp, 57, is suing The Sun’s publisher, News Group Newspapers (NGN), and its executive editor Dan Wootton over an April 2018 article which labelled him a ‘wife beater’ over claims he attacked Ms Heard, 34, during their relationship.

Mr Sherborne told Mr Justice Nicol: ‘In the context of the attack, what I will call ‘the stairs incident’, and the evidence we say of the attack by Ms Amber Heard on Mr Depp, Ms Whitney (Henriquez) you will recall protested that it was only in self-defence and it is the one physical attack that Ms Amber Heard admits to.’

He said that, on Thursday, Ms Henriquez was asked ‘whether Ms Amber Heard was violent’ and said that ‘the stairs incident’ in Los Angeles in March 2015 was a ‘one-off’.

Mr Sherborne continued that Ms Henriquez’s evidence about the incident in March 2015 is ‘the only occasion on which any other human being is supposed to have witnessed’ Mr Depp being violent towards Ms Heard.

He added: ‘The reliability of Ms Whitney (Henriquez) is critical.’

Mr Sherborne said Ms Heard’s evidence is that ‘she was never violent, she (has not) physically attacked Mr Depp … and the only occasion is said to be when she was acting in self-defence’.

‘Evidence that Ms Heard was violent towards her sister is relevant to that issue,’ Mr Sherborne said.

He told the court: ‘We are entitled to put (allegations of) violence to Ms Whitney (Henriquez) … we want to play the video tape to her and ask her about the incident in which Ms Amber Heard attacked her.’

Mr Sherborne added: ‘Had we received this before the end of yesterday, we would have been entitled to put (the allegation) to her and we would be entitled to rely on it in our closing submissions.’

During the following exchange of legal argument regarding whether the video was admissible, lawyers for both sides and trial judge Mr Justice Nicol referred to Amber Heard’s sister, Whitney Henriquez, by her maiden name, Whitney Heard.

David Sherborne, for Mr Depp, said: ‘We say it is quite clear from that video that not only did Ms Amber Heard assault her sister, but it was quite clear also that the injuries that were suffered by Ms Whitney Heard are being examined by the individual that we see on the tape.

‘There is no denial of the fact that Ms Amber Heard ‘beat up’ Ms Whitney Heard and that there are injuries.’

He said that in the clip Ms Henriquez can be seen showing her arm to a woman examining it.

Addressing Mr Justice Nicol, Sasha Wass QC, for NGN, said: ‘My Lord, this is an undated piece of film footage in circumstances which appear to be some sort of reality TV programme, which is flippant, certainly not serious.

‘Whitney suggests, according to the transcript, that there is an altercation.

‘When she is asked about whether her sister beat her she says she is not going to talk about it.’

She added: ‘This is a light-hearted exchange, there is no evidence of any injuries and it will take the matter… no further.

‘We say this is not only late disclosure, it is meaningless.’ Ms Wass added that the video could provide no assistance to the judge and would only serve as a diversion to proceedings.  But the judge disagreed and it was shown  to the court.

Amber Heard and her girlfriend Bianca Butti arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice in London today for the libel trial to continue

Amber Heard asked her acting coach to be on set as a ‘witness’ during sex scenes with Liam Hemsworth in 2013 film Paranoia so she could prove to Johnny Depp they weren’t having an affair 

Amber Heard became so ‘nervous’ about doing sex scenes in movies she asked her acting coach to watch so she had a ‘witness’ if Johnny Depp accused her of having an affair, the High Court heard today.

Kristina Sexton claimed that Mr Depp did not want Ms Heard doing ‘any role that was overtly sexual’ culminating in her being on set during raunchy moments with Liam Hemsworth in 2013 film Paranoia.

In her statement, Ms Sexton also said she saw Ms Heard becoming ‘stressed on set about figuring out ways to avoid upsetting Johnny’. Ms Heard also told her acting coach ‘Johnny would rather destroy me than let me go’, the court heard.

Kristina Sexton claimed that she had to be on set during Amber Heard's sex scenes with Liam Hemsworth in 2013 film Paranoia

Kristina Sexton claimed that she had to be on set during Amber Heard's sex scenes with Liam Hemsworth in 2013 film Paranoia

Kristina Sexton claimed that she had to be on set during Amber Heard’s sex scenes with Liam Hemsworth in 2013 film Paranoia

She said the actress wanted her on set during sex scenes with actor Liam Hemsworth for the 2013 film Paranoia ‘so that she (Ms Heard) had a witness for Johnny to be able to confirm that nothing went on other than strict work’. 

Ms Sexton said that at one point, Ms Heard was on billboards as the face of a Guess campaign, alleging Ms Heard had told her Mr Depp had said she (Ms Heard) ‘shouldn’t be doing stuff like that anymore because it made her look like a ‘cheap whore”.

The acting coach claimed Ms Heard stopped modelling after this, turning down the next Guess campaign ‘even though it was a lot of money for her’.

Ms Sexton went on to say that Ms Heard had ‘previously been very comfortable with her sexuality and how she looked’, but when she and the actress first looked at doing a film called London Fields in 2013, Ms Heard ‘seemed stressed about the nudity in the film’.

‘It became impossible for us to work on this at home together – Johnny was angry about her doing this part and so it was always ‘we can’t do it now’ or she would call me crying about him shouting at her about it,’ Ms Sexton alleged.

Her statement says: ‘When we would discuss upcoming opportunities and possible roles, she started saying things like, ‘he doesn’t want his woman doing this film’ and he doesn’t want ‘his woman doing sex scenes’.’

Ms Sexton alleged: ‘She started telling me that he was accusing everyone of being in love with her and accusing her of wielding her sexuality all the time.

‘She also told me that he was constantly upset about her ex-partners. She told me he was worried about her having affairs with co-stars. She started telling me that she couldn’t do certain roles because he didn’t want her doing ‘whore parts’.’  

Ms Sexton said she first met the actress in 2009 and the pair became friends ‘quite quickly’, bonding about books and ‘the fact we are both nerds’.

She claimed: ‘The best I can describe it is that she (Ms Heard) became very nervous about her acting – whether it was for a part he wanted her to do or for one he didn’t want her to do, her work was dictated by Johnny.

‘For example, she auditioned for the role of Queenie in Fantastic Beasts. It was strange to me that she was interested in doing a Harry Potter film because it was not the sort of film that had previously been of interest to her. She was very nervous about it, over-thinking it in ways I had not seen her do before, and kept saying ‘no, we have to get this right’.

‘It wasn’t until later that I figured out why she was so worried about getting it right: because he (Mr Depp) was in it and she later told me that he wanted her to be in it.

‘I could usually tell if it was something he wanted her to be involved in because she became a nervous wreck about getting it right.

‘But if he didn’t want her to be involved, she was a nervous wreck for a different reason: because she was so worried about his reaction.’

Ms Sexton claimed she and Ms Heard would put an audition on tape for roles and Mr Depp would ‘put a stop to it if he didn’t deem it worthy’.

Depp used ‘tampon applicator’ to snort cocaine, says Amber’s sister – but star’s QC claims it was a ‘set up’ by the siblings

Sasha Wass QC, for NGN, then asked Whitney Henriquez about the change in the date on which the so-called ‘painting incident’ in March 2013 is said to have occurred.

The barrister asked: ‘How sure are you of the events themselves that were described?’

Ms Henriquez replied: ‘100% certain of the events.’

She added that she realised the incident occurred on March 22 2013 – not March 8 2013 – when she ‘came across a message (from Nathan Holmes, Mr Depp’s former assistant) about getting Johnny something from McDonald’s… it just sparked my memory of the incident, the painting incident’.

The High Court was shown images of Johnny Depp's drink and drug-filled lifestyle including an image taken by Amber Heard that shows a pint of whisky, four lines of cocaine and his skull and crossbones 'pill box' ready for consumption

The High Court was shown images of Johnny Depp's drink and drug-filled lifestyle including an image taken by Amber Heard that shows a pint of whisky, four lines of cocaine and his skull and crossbones 'pill box' ready for consumption

The High Court was shown images of Johnny Depp’s drink and drug-filled lifestyle including an image taken by Amber Heard that shows a pint of whisky, four lines of cocaine and his skull and crossbones ‘pill box’ ready for consumption

Ms Wass then asked about a photograph of lines of cocaine on a table next to a tampon applicator, said to have been taken at around 1.30pm on March 22 2013.

The barrister said the photo was suggested by Mr Depp’s lawyers to be a ‘set up’, and took Ms Henriquez to texts between her and her sister on that day.

One text Ms Henriquez sent to Amber Heard read: ‘Let me know when you get here.’

A reply, sent at around 3pm, from Ms Heard to her sister read: ‘Johnny is over still, we are fighting.’

Sasha Wass said: ‘Going back to the photo, bearing in mind the times of those texts, are you able to say… whether you were present at Orange Avenue (Ms Heard’s LA home) when that was taken?’

Whitney Henriquez said: ‘I wasn’t there.’

Ms Wass continued: ‘There’s a tampon applicator… on that photograph and I think you indicated that you had used that as a means to snort cocaine.’

Ms Henriquez said: ‘When I did, yes.’ Ms Wass said: ‘Have you ever taken cocaine with Mr Depp?’ Ms Henriquez replied: ‘I have.’

She also said she had taken cocaine with Mr Depp before March 22 2013, after which Ms Wass asked: ‘Did the tampon applicator play any part in the occasion when you took cocaine with Mr Depp before March 22?’

Ms Henriquez said: ‘Yes, the first time I did cocaine with Johnny, I showed him that.’ She added: ‘I gave it to him.’

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