Johnny Depp’s attorney on domestic violence allegations: ‘Amber has tried her claims in the media’

Johnny Depp’s attorney argued Friday that Amber Heard is avoiding a deposition under oath after “she and her representatives have spent considerable time and effort pursuing her allegations in the court of public opinion,” according to court documents obtained by The Times.

Heard was granted a temporary restraining order May 27 against Depp after alleging that he had attacked her on May 21, leaving her bruised and terrified, and saying that he’d been violent with her throughout their relationship. With a court date set for June 17, Depp’s legal team now wants to question the actress and her friend Raquel Rose Pennington, who both gave legal statements regarding the alleged physical abuse.

“She refuses to produce documents that supposedly support her allegations and she refuses to answer questions under oath...,” Depp’s lawyer Laura A. Wasser told the court in documents. “Amber has tried her claims in the media. It is now time for her to do so in a court of law.”

Heard said in a legal declaration that she was not available for a deposition Friday because she was en route to New Jersey to attend Pennington’s engagement party on Saturday. The actress also said she needed at least two weeks to obtain the documents – emails and texts between Heard and three others – requested by Depp’s lawyer.

Heard’s representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On May 23, the 30-year-old actress filed for a divorce from Depp, who turned 53 on Thursday. Days later she applied for the restraining order. In Heard’s court filing, she claims that during the “entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me. I endured excessive emotional, verbal and physical abuse from Johnny, which has included angry, hostile, humiliating and threatening assaults to me whenever I questioned his authority or disagreed with him.”

In response, Depp’s team filed a statement that Heard was “attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse.” It said that Heard’s petition “appears to be in response to the negative media attention she received earlier this week.”

His legal team also noted that the actor was willing to agree to a mutual stay-away order because, at the time, he was on tour in Europe with his band Hollywood Vampires.

The actors met on the set of “The Rum Diary” in 2011, started dating in 2012 after he split with Vanessa Paradis, his partner of 14 years and mother of his children, and got married in February 2015.

MORE AMBER HEARD, JOHNNY DEPP NEWS:

New photos of Amber Heard show bruised eye and bloody lip

Amber Heard was accused of domestic violence by a former girlfriend in 2009

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s court declarations regarding allegations of domestic violence

Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s court declarations regarding allegations of domestic violence

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ.