LONDON (Reuters) – Hollywood star Johnny Depp’s former estate manager told London’s High Court on Wednesday that he found a piece of the actor’s severed finger following his alleged confrontation with ex-wife Amber Heard.
Depp, 57, is suing the publisher of Britain’s Sun newspaper for libel over an article in 2018 in which it labelled him a wife-beater and referred to “overwhelming evidence” that he had attacked Heard.
Ben King, who worked for Depp between 2014 and 2015, said that Heard was the “antagoniser” in her relationship with Depp and that the pair would argue like schoolchildren.
King, who was involved in a clean-up operation after an alleged incident at a rented property in Australia in 2015, said he found the actor’s severed fingertip. He said it was located by the bar area of the home, while there was a trail of blood spots up the stairs.
“It was mentioned that it may be somewhere and when I was clearing up I found it,” he said.
Depp has previously recounted how Heard had severed the tip of his finger when she threw a bottle of vodka at him.
During five days of testimony, Depp said Heard’s 14 allegations of domestic violence which spanned three years from 2013 were lies and that she had regularly assaulted him.
Heard is due to start giving evidence on Friday while Depp’s former long-term partner Vanessa Paradis is scheduled to appear by videolink on Thursday.
(Reporting by Sarah Mills; Editing by Giles Elgood)
