A spokesperson for the 'Alice in Wonderland' actor responds after the 'Aquaman' star adds the new allegation against her ex-husband during the opening of the trial in Virginia.

• Apr 13, 2022

AceShowbiz - A defamation trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard has just started in Virginia and it's already heating up. During the trial at the Fairfax County Courthouse on Tuesday, April 12, the actress added sexual assault to allegations she leveled at her ex-husband.

In his opening statement, Heard's lawyer Ben Rottenborn claimed that his client suffered abuse that "took many forms," including physical, emotional and psychological. He said that in 2015, Depp got blackout drunk while in Australia, and allegedly "abused and sexually assaulted Amber, all because she had the courage to confront him about his drinking."

Citing an op-ed written by Heard detailing how she survived abusive relationships, for which she is currently sued by Depp, the attorney alleged of the headline, "Tragically, it's true." He added, "Amber did suffer sexual violence at the hands of Depp."

Rottenborn further asserted that there is evidence that will be laid out to support her claims, saying, "You will hear in the most graphic and horrifying terms about the violence that she suffered. You'll hear that straight from her. She will get on the stand and she will tell you that it happened."

Depp's spokesperson has quickly debunked the new allegation. In a statement to news outlets, the rep called her claims "fictious" and "erroneous." The statement read, "These fictitious claims were never made at the onset of Amber's allegations in 2016, and only advantageously surfaced years later once she was sued for defamation after noting in her op-ed that she was a victim of 'sexual violence.' "

The spokesperson went on noting, "Words are key in a defamation case and conveniently, this allegation only came after that. This follows a pattern of her elaborate, erroneous claims which have continued to change and evolve over time for the purpose of Hollywood shock value of which Amber has mastered and used to exploit a serious social movement."

Depp filed his $50 million defamation lawsuit against Heard in 2019. He claims that Heard's allegations of abuse against him were an "elaborate hoax" and the op-ed caused damage to his career. The libel lawsuit is expected to play out over the next six weeks.