Serious allegations, sometimes in tears, against Johnny Depp: In the civil lawsuit between the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star and his former wife Amber Heard (36), the actress took the witness stand for the first time on Wednesday.
"I'm here because my ex-husband sued me," Heard said when questioned by her attorney.
It was "terrible" for her to "experience everything again" here for weeks and to talk to Depp about her past chapter.
"This is the most painful and difficult thing I've ever been through," Heard said of the three-week trial.
Through tears, Heard described an incident from 2012, early in their relationship, when she was allegedly first hit by Depp.
He was using alcohol and drugs when their conversation about a tattoo on his arm ended in physical assault.
At first she thought it was a bad joke, but Depp hit her in the face three times in a row.
"It changed my life," Heard said, visibly upset.
Depp then apologized to her in tears on his knees and promised he would never do it again.
Heard, in a dark pants suit, answered questions from her lawyer for almost two hours.
According to her, Depp, especially when intoxicated, was often violent.
There was also sexual violence, Heard said.
The Aquaman actress described verbal abuse in which Depp allegedly threatened to kill her.
He called her a "whore" and accused her of cheating on him for no reason.
Heard's lawyers showed photos of the actress, such as a bruise on her upper arm.
Depp denies under oath that he hit Heard
Depp (58), in a gray suit and at times with dark glasses, listened almost motionless to what his ex-wife said from a few meters away.
He avoided eye contact, keeping his head down most of the time.
In his four-day testimony on the witness stand in Fairfax County Court, Virginia, Depp denied under oath that he ever struck Heard.
The actor admitted that there had been arguments in their relationship.
"But I never got to the point of hitting Miss Heard in any way, nor have I ever hit a woman in my life," Depp said.
Heard, in turn, had a "need for violence," he accused his ex-wife.
After a good dozen days of trial, Depp's team had completed its evidence on Tuesday.
About two dozen witnesses had their say.
In his civil lawsuit, he alleges that his ex-wife made false statements in a 2018 op-ed about domestic violence published by the Washington Post.
This damaged his reputation.
Depp is not mentioned by name in the article.
He is suing for around 50 million dollars (a good 45 million euros) in damages for defamation, Heard has filed a counterclaim.
Depp and Heard met while filming The Rum Diary in 2009.
Their romance began in 2011 while on a promotional tour for the film, following Depp's split from his longtime partner, French actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children.
Depp and Heard married in 2015, but the actress filed for divorce after just 15 months of marriage.
She accused her husband of domestic violence.
The process should take several weeks
Their relationship was "intense" from the start, Heard said on Wednesday.
She fell head over heels in love with Depp.
"It was like a dream, absolutely magical," she said of the beginning of their romance.
Heard explained that he could be the kindest, most considerate, most generous, and funniest partner until his "scary" downside surfaced.
In front of the jury, she described Depp's alleged intoxication, in which he had completely lost control of himself.
But when he was sober, he told her that she was his salvation.
Heard stated that she considered leaving Depp in 2013.
But she has not given up hope that the man she loved will get his addiction under control.
The process is expected to take several weeks.
Observers assume that Heard will be questioned for several days, including cross-examination by Depp's lawyers.
Actors' assistants, psychologists, police officers and financial advisors have already had their say.
Cell phone videos and audio recordings of the couple's arguments, some shocking, were presented in court.
The mud fight in front of the jury is broadcast by court cameras.