Amber Heard-Johnny Depp Divorce: Actor To Call Over 12 Witnesses To Testify Against Estranged Wife

Johnny Depp is locked, loaded and ready to face off with estranged wife Amber Heard in court over the terms of their divorce. The “Alice: Through the Looking Glass” actor has an all-star team of lawyers in his corner and, as if that wasn’t enough, he’s called in additional reinforcements.

Depp is said to have a list of nearly two dozen witnesses ready to take the stand and testify in his favor according to TMZ. The list includes a number of people who were around Heard and Depp during their marriage and, more importantly, saw the “Magic Mike XXL” actress around May 21 — the date which she alleges she was physically assaulted by her husband. Depp, 53, will call on the two officers who responded to Heard’s call about having been attacked, five concierges employed in the building in which the couple once shared an apartment, two security guards, Heard’s publicists Jodi Gottlieb, and their former housekeeper Hilda Vargas.

Each witness is being called for a specific reason. For example, the responding officers reported after the incident that they saw no evidence of injury on Heard at the time. The concierges have echoed that sentiment, stating that they did not notice bruising on Heard’s face or any other part of her body at the time she alleges the incident occurred. Heard, 30, and Depp’s former security guards, Jerry Judge and Sean Bett, will — as was previously reported — testify in the Golden Globe Award-winner’s favor as well.

On Monday news broke that Heard had taken the stand to provide her deposition after months of rescheduling. Much to the surprise of fans, TMZ reported that she did not take an oath or make mention of the abuses she previously claimed she suffered during her relationship with Depp. The publication also reported that Depp’s legal team as well as a videographer and court reporter were present during the deposition. Heard chose to remain hidden in a nearby office rather than potentially face her estranged husband. Sources close to the couple told TMZ that rather than dwell on abuse allegations — which Depp and his team have refuted on more than one occasion — the pair focused on settlement.

It’s been a long road for Heard and Depp, who announced their separation in May. The Texas native was scheduled to provide her deposition on numerous occasions, but failed to do so until Aug. 6. Still, she and her lawyers claim it is Depp who is holding up legal proceedings. On July 27, Us Weekly obtained documents filed with the court by Heard’s lawyers that accused Depp and his team of filing motions that would “impose undue financial hardships” on the actress. The statement is meant to reference Depp’s call for a non-disclosure agreement to be put in place, which would ensure that the details of he and Heard’s divorce are not made public. Heard’s team went on to say that Depp has done everything and anything in his power to slow down or stop the legal proceedings against him, requesting that the court look at these actions as “blatant threats” against her. The documents stated that Depp and his team have been thwarting progress in the legal process by refusing to comply with the demands of Heard and her lawyers — regardless of how basic they are.

“[Depp] and his counsel’s demand for the execution of these two non-disclosure agreements which impose undue financial hardships and burdens on [Heard] are nothing but blatant threats by [Depp] and are illustrative of his continued attempts to thwart real progress in this case,” the document read. “[Depp] has been stonewalling the progress of this case by refusing to provide the most basic financial documents, and he is now filing his second ex parte on the same discovery issue coupled with a second request to continue court-ordered deadlines related to the DVRO hearing.”

On July 20, Entertainment Tonight reported that Depp’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, filed a motion seeking protection for Depp from having the details of the divorce and any agreements made relating to it shared publicly. The paperwork states that should Heard agree to sign the confidentiality agreement, Depp would be happy to comply with her request for financial documentation as well as her other demands. Wasser stated that Heard had, at the time, been presented with two other privacy agreements which she refused to sign. Wasser speculated that Heard and her team were responsible for having leaked information about the divorce to the media.

“Amber’s need for financial information to resolve this case is distinct from the public’s appetite for information about celebrity divorces,” Wasser said. “Amber has inexplicably refused to sign any agreement to maintain confidentiality in this action.”