Johnny Depp v Amber Heard: Depp has claimed Heard had a 'need for violence'

Johnny Depp has claimed Amber Heard had a "need for violence".

The 58-year-old actor is suing his ex-wife for defamation over a Washington Post op-ed she wrote, in which she referred to herself as a victim of domestic violence, while she has countersued her former spouse, and the Black Mass star returned to the stand at Fairfax County Court in Virginia and claimed the Aquaman actress had "bullied" him during their marriage.

Actor Johnny Depp stands during his testimony in the courtroom. Depp sued his ex-wife Amber Heard for libel. Photo / AP

Depp said: "It seemed like pure hatred for me. If I stayed to argue, eventually, I was sure it was going to escalate into violence, and oftentimes it did."

Asked to describe the violence, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor said Heard would "strike out".

He added: "It could begin with a slap. It could begin with a shove. It could begin with throwing a TV remote at my head. It could be throwing a glass of wine in my face.

Actress Amber Heard listens in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax. Photo / AP

"She has a need for conflict. She has a need for violence. It erupts out of nowhere."
Describing her behaviour as "constant", he added: "There was no need for it. Too many lines were crossed; you couldn't see the lines anymore."

Depp, a father of two with ex-wife Vanessa Paradis, claimed the Danish Girl star would "tell [him] what a bad father [he] was" and that he "had no idea how to parent".

Actor Johnny Depp demonstrates what he claims was an alleged attack by his ex-wife Amber Heard, as he testifies during the trial at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax. Photo / AP

The Edward Scissorhands actor insisted he never struck Heard and would try to remove himself from the situation when their rows escalated, sometimes locking himself in the bathroom.

He said: "In all of these situations, my main goal was to retreat."

Actor Johnny Depp demonstrates how he claims to have shielded himself from an alleged attack by his ex-wife Amber Heard, as he testifies at the Fairfax County Circuit Court. Photo / AP

During his testimony this week, the actor had spoken about his abusive mother and he admitted on Wednesday that he stayed in his marriage to Heard before she sought a restraining order against him because he "wanted to try to make it work", comparing the dynamic to that of his own parents growing up.

Asked why he stayed, Depp - who said he'd learned to "pick [his] battles" said it was a "complicated answer" but recalled thinking, "No one can live like this".

Johnny Depp is suing his ex-wife for defamation over a Washington Post op-ed she wrote, in which she referred to herself as a victim of domestic violence. Photo / AP

He continued: "Why did I stay? I suppose because my father stayed [in his abusive marriage]. ... And I didn't want to fail. I wanted to try to make it work. I thought maybe I could help her. I thought maybe I could bring her around. Because the Amber Heard that I knew for the first year, year and a half was not this, suddenly this opponent. It wasn't my girl, she had become my opponent."