Johnny Depp Calls Heard's Allegations of Abuse 'Flat Out Lie'

In a series of expletive-laced text messages to talent agent and Lady Gaga's former fiancé Cristian Carino, Johnny Depp, 56, called ex-wife Amber Heard's accusations of abuse - revealed through tabloid stories during the split between the two - a 'flat out lie," months after Depp sent text messages to his friend Paul Bettany ("A Knight's Tale) saying that they should "burn" Amber.

"I want this done with as much as her," Depp wrote to Carino after Heard's lawyers accused him of violating a restraining order after Carino set up a meeting between the two in an attempt to encourage reconciliation. "What can I do??? Admit something that never happened!??? And just swallow a ... ‘flat out lie'? She needs to be reasonable…I ain't carrying an underserved wife beater charge on my back for her!"

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Depp is currently pursuing a $50 million defamation suit against Heard over those same abuse allegations, rehashed in a Washington Post op-ed, as well as a libel suit against the British newspaper The Sun.

According to Depp's attorney in the Sun libel suit, David Sherborne, "One person, one side, is lying, and one is not,” Sherborne said. “Obviously, we say that it is Ms. Heard (who is lying), Mr. Depp is 100 percent clear about that.”

In 2013, Depp sent texts to Bettany, first saying that they should "burn Amber," then adding, "Let's drown her before we burn her!!!"

The texts were read in court late last month.

Gettyimages | Stephane Cardinale - Corbis

In texts a year later, also to Bettany, Depp said, after acknowledging he had been drinking heavily, “I am admittedly too f–ked in the head to spray my rage at the one I love…For little reason, as well I’m too old to be that guy. But, pills are fine!!!”

As for her part, Heard admitted in 2015 to hitting Depp and said in tapes released by The Daily Mail, "I'm sorry that I didn't, uh, uh, hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you. Babe, you're not punched. I don't know what the motion of my actual hand was, but you're fine, I did not hurt you, I did not punch you, I was hitting you."

Gettyimages | John Phillips

In the Washington Post, Heard said that she faced death threats in the wake of negative publicity surrounding her divorce from Depp.

"I write this as a woman who had to change my phone number weekly because I was getting death threats. For months, I rarely left my apartment, and when I did, I was pursued by camera drones and photographers on foot, on motorcycles and in cars. Tabloid outlets that posted pictures of me spun them in a negative light. I felt as though I was on trial in the court of public opinion — and my life and livelihood depended on myriad judgments far beyond my control," she penned.

Gettyimages | Tristan Fewings

According to Heard, she began dating Depp in 2012, and said, "about a year into our relationship, I began to witness Johnny abusing drugs and alcohol … Whenever he was using, I worried for both of us. He would become a totally different person, often delusional and violent. We called that version of Johnny, 'the Monster.' Johnny often would not remember his delusional and violent conduct after he came out of his drunk or medicated states … Because I loved Johnny, I had believed his multiple promises that he could and would get better. I was wrong."

Depp said the false allegations were made in part to help Heard "advance her career."