Kate Moss will reportedly testify as a rebuttal witness for Johnny Depp amid a trial of dueling defamation lawsuits involving his ex-wife, Amber Heard
Earlier this month, Heard name-dropped Moss during her testimony, apparently referencing an unsubstantiated rumor that Depp pushed Moss down some stairs while they were dating back in the 1990s.
Even though the name-drop was no doubt an attempt to paint a portrait of Depp as having a history of abusing people, Heard mentioning the 48-year-old British fashion icon inadvertently opened up Depp’s team to being allowed to bring up past relationships during the trial.
That possibility is now coming to fruition, as the New York Post reports Moss will be called upon by Depp’s team as a rebuttal witness for Depp. She is expected to give testimony, via video link, on Wednesday.
Heard mentioned Moss when she recalled in her testimony that the only time she landed a blow on Depp, she claims, was because Depp was allegedly about to punch her sister, Whitney Henriquez, who Heard said was standing at the top of some stairs.
“I don’t hesitate. I don’t wait. I instantly think of Kate Moss and the stairs, and I swung at him,” Heard said, in her testimony in early May.
Many people have pointed to an instance when Depp’s lawyer, Ben Chew, appeared to react in a celebratory manner by pumping his fist when Heard mentioned Moss.
According to court records, Depp has the ability to call “any witnesses identified” by Heard and “any witness necessary for rebuttal or impeachment.” So Moss being mentioned by Heard is essentially the reason the model can now be called upon to testify by Depp’s team. Presumably, her testimony will be to dispel rumors that Depp harmed her.
Heard’s mentioning of Moss also opened up Depp’s team to be able to grill Heard about a past domestic violence charge she faced involving her ex-romantic partner. Depp’s lawyer, Camille Vasquez, used the past domestic violence charge as her closing bit of questioning for Heard under cross-examination last week.
In 2009, Heard was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for allegedly hitting Tasya van Ree, with whom she was in a relationship at the time. The charges were later dropped and van Ree released a statement in 2016 saying Heard was “wrongfully accused” of the incident.
The court battle, unfolding in a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, centers on an op-ed Heard wrote for the Washington Post in 2018, in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Though Depp isn’t named in the article, Heard made prior allegations of abuse against Depp in 2016, which he claims are false and are referenced in the piece.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for defamation for allegedly false domestic abuse accusations she made against him that he said hurt his career. Heard is counter-suing Depp, also for defamation, for $100 million.
While Heard maintains she was abused by Depp, Depp claims just the opposite: he was abused by her and not the other way around.
Depp is also slated to take the stand this week, as called upon as a witness by Heard’s team, after he previously testified on behalf of himself and was cross-examined by Heard’s team last month.