Actress Amber Heard thought it was "a joke" when Hollywood star Johnny Depp reportedly slapped her for the first time when she asked about one of his tattoos.
Heard is being sued for defamation by her ex-husband Depp over a 2018 op-ed she wrote about being a victim of domestic abuse and she took the stand at Fairfax County Circuit Court for the first time in the trial, when she recalled how the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' allegedly got violent after she questioned him about the 'Wino Forever' tattoo he has on his arm, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
Heard, who is counter suing Depp, said: "It changed my life. We were sitting on the couch. We were having a normal conversation, there was no fighting no argument no nothing. He was drinking. I didn't realise at the time but I think he was using cocaine. There was a jar of cocaine, a vintage jar of it. I ask him about the tattoo he has on his arm.
"To me, it just looks like black marks. I didn't know what it said. I said 'what does it say.' He said it says 'wino.' I didn't see that. I thought he was joking. I laughed. And he slapped me across the face. And I laughed."
"Because I didn't know what else to do. I thought, this must be a joke. I didn't know what was going on. I just stared at him, kinda, laughing still, thinking he was gonna start laughing too. He said 'You think it's so funny b****?' "
The 36-year-old actress said Depp then hit her again and she fell.
She continued: "It was clear it wasn't a joke anymore. I stopped laughing. He slapped me for no reason. Second slap, I know he's not kidding. I just stared at him. I didn't move or freak or out defend myself. I just stared at him because I didn't know what to do. And he slaps me one more time. Hard. I lose my balance."
Heard said she knew straight away she "had to leave" her husband, but he cried and promised not to do her again.
She said: "I knew it was wrong and I knew I had to leave him. I wish I could sit here and say I walked out of that house... and stood up for myself. I wanted to believe him. I believed there was a line he wouldn't cross again and that was it."