Johnny Depp says Amber Heard ‘grossly embellished’ his substance abuse as he reveals the first time they met

Johnny Depp says that his ex-wife Amber Heard’s characterisation of his substance abuse has been “grossly embellished” and is “just plainly false”.

The Hollywood star told the court in the former couple’s $50m defamation trial that he had never taken drugs for “the party effect” and only ever to deal with “trauma”.

And he said that it had been “an easy target” for the actress to hit after their relationship and marriage imploded.

“It has never been for the party effect, it has been trying to numb the things inside that have, that can plague someone who has experienced trauma,” he told the court in Virginia.

“The characterisation of my substance, of my quote-unquote substance abuse that has been delivered by Ms Heard is grossly embellished, and I am sorry to say, but a lot of it is just plainly false.

“I think that it was easy, it was an easy target for her to  hit. Because once you have trusted somebody for a certain amount of years and you have told them all the secrets of your life, that information can then, of course, be used against you.”

Mr Depp was asked during the first day of his testimony in the case how he had first met Ms Heard at her audition for The Rum Diary movie.

He explained that in 2008 he had spent time with his friend, author Hunter S Thompson, looking at his manuscripts for possible movie projects.

Mr Depp said that he had discovered a manuscript of The Rum Diary and agreed to develop it as a movie, before Thompson died by suicide.

The actor said that he had convinced his friend Bruce Robinson to write and direct the movie, who had auditioned Amber Heard multiple times for the role of Chenault.

“He wasn’t sure about her capabilities as an actress with regards to the film and the character and taking direction. He asked me if I would read with her for the film,” explained Mr Depp.

“I had already met a number of actresses and things, so I said to Bruce, if you have auditioned her five times you have seen the best and worst I suppose, so me putting her in an uncomfortable situation, I think it a far better idea that we just meet and I can just see how she behaves, see how she reacts as that is really all it is, reaction and behaviour.

“He made her an appointment, she came to my office, I took one look at her and thought ‘Yep that’s the Chenault that Hunter wants, that’s the one. I just thought ‘Yep she could definitely kill me, that’s who Hunter wants.’”

And he went on to explain the things that he first liked about her.

“She was sweet as pie, pleasant, intelligent, literate, very good taste,” he said but added that he felt he cold teach her to use “stillness” in her acting.