The Amber Heard-Johnny Depp divorce drama was ratcheted up another notch Wednesday after text messages purported to be sent from Heard’s cellphone seemingly revealed that the Pirates of the Caribbean star’s alleged physical abuse of his wife dates back to at least 2014.
The text messages, first reported on by Entertainment Tonight, were reportedly sent in May 2014, before Depp and Heard were married. The exchange begins with a message from someone named Stephen, whom the outlet purports to be Depp’s assistant, Stephen Deuters.
In the exchange, Stephen appears to be asking for forgiveness on behalf of a man the outlet claims is Johnny Depp.
“Think he’s just texted you. He’s incredibly apologetic and knows that he has done wrong,” Stephen’s alleged text message to Heard reads. “He wants to get better now. He’s been very explicit about that this morning. Feel like we’re at a critical juncture.”
Heard allegedly responded to Stephen, writing: “Yes but I don’t know how to be around him after what he did to me yesterday. I don’t know if I can stay with him.”
“He wants to see you so much. He’s distraught,” Stephen writes in response.
The exchange continued, with Heard allegedly writing: “Obviously he has no idea what he did or the extent that he did it. If someone was truly honest with him about how bad it really was, he’d be appalled.”
“I’m sad that he doesn’t have a better way to really know the severity of his actions yesterday,” she added. “Unfortunately for me, I remember in full detail everything that happened.”
Stephen allegedly insisted that Depp could not recall his actions from the night before: “He was appalled. When I told him he kicked you, he cried. It was disgusting. And he knows it.”
“He’s a little lost boy. And needs all the help he can get,” Stephen added. “He is so very sorry, as he should be.”
Heard allegedly responded: “He’s done this many times before. Tokyo, the island, London (remember that?!), and I always stay. Always believe he’s going to get better…And then every 3 or so month [sic], I’m in the exact same position.”
Heard filed for and received a restraining order against Depp on Friday in a California court, where the 30-year-old Rum Diary star presented photos to a judge of her bruised face as evidence.
Heard filed for divorce from the actor earlier this month, after just 15 months of marriage.
The Pirates star has vigorously denied all allegations of abuse. LAPD officers who arrived at the couple’s residence the night of the latest alleged incident say they could see no evidence of Heard’s injuries.
Over the weekend, Vaness Paradis — Depp’s girlfriend of 14 years and the mother of his two children — and Lori Anne Allison, to whom Depp was married from 1983 to 1986, defended the actor in separate written statements.
On Tuesday, an anonymous friend of Heard’s alleged that Depp regularly assaulted his wife in drunken fits of rage.
People magazine released new photos of Heard on Wednesday in which she is pictured sporting a bruised face and a bloody lip. The photos were reportedly taken during an alleged violent incident in December 2015.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson
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