H ollywood actress Amber Heard feared Johnny Depp was going to kill her as he repeatedly told her “death was the only way out of the relationship”, she told the High Court today.

The star, 34, claims Depp was an abusive and controlling husband who regularly attacked her while high on drugs or drunk, punching her, pulling her hair and throwing glass bottles at her.

Heard says the Pirates of the Caribbean star referred to their romance as “dead or alive” in dark conversations, and threatened to “carve my face” if she ever left him.

She says her career was harmed by Depp’s controlling behaviour because he demanded to know details of nudity on screen and love scenes, and accused her of a string of affairs with co-stars including Kevin Costner and Eddie Redmayne.

Heard started giving her evidence to the High Court this morning, in the third week of Depp’s blockbuster libel battle with News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun.

“He said to me time and time again, the only way out of this was death,” Heard told the court from the witness box.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 1 /105 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at High Court: July 2020 Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on the first day .Jeremy Selwyn Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on the first day PA Johnny Depp on the first day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN) AFP via Getty Images Amber Heard with her sister Whitney Heard on the first day Johnny Depp's libel case PA Johnny Depp wearing a face covering AFP via Getty Images) Johnny Depp (right) being cross-examined by Sasha Wass QC (left) before the judge, Mr Justice Nicol, at the High Court on 7 July PA Amber Heard waves as she arrives at the High Court on the second day PA Johnny Depp arrives on the second day of the hearing his libel case Reuters AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images PA Getty Images Johnny Depp (L) arrives on the third day of his libel trial against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July Reuters Photo showing Amber Heard injury alleged to have been caused by Johnny Depp An image Heard said was taken after this incident, showing a bruise on her arm. Lines of cocaine on a table that were allegedly taken by actor Johnny Depp PA An image of Johnny Depp apparently passed out on the floor Amber Heard and Bianca Butti leave the Royal Courts of Justice on 9 July Getty Images Amber Heard (R) arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 9 July AP Amber Heard arrives on the third day of the libel trial by her former husband US actor Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers (NGN), at the High Court on 9 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp photo spilt ice cream photo referred to in court Amber Heard American actor Johnny Depp gestures to the media as he arrives at the High Court on 13 July AP Amber Heard's pet teacup Yorkshire Terriers Pistol and Boo which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA One of the pictures shown in court Actor Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 14 July PA Johnny Depp with injuries allegedly sustained from Amber Heard during an incident in Los Angeles PA Amber Heard being questioned by Sasha Wass QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London on 20 July Elizabeth Cook/PA Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 20 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Monday where she is due to give evidence against former husband Johnny Depp on 20 July PA Amber Heard image which has been referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court on 20 July PA Johnny Depp arrives at Royal Courts of Justice on 21 July Getty Images Amber Heard with a bruising on her face, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court in London PA Amber Heard being cross examined by Eleanor Laws QC as she gives evidence at the High Court in London during a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Amber Heard with a friend, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court in London for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 21 July PA Johnny Depp leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in his libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Video deposition of Amber Heard in US proceedings, which was referred to as an exhibit in the hearing of Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, at the High Court PA Johnny Depp with a cast on his hand PA Amber Heard leaves the High Court in London following a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July PA Actress Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 22 July AP Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on Wednesday morning for a hearing in Johnny Depp's libel case against the publishers of The Sun and its executive editor, Dan Wootton on 22 July Getty Images PA PA PA PA PA PA PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July Reuters Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July REUTERS Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July PA Amber Heard arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July AFP via Getty Images Johnny Depp arrives at the High Court on 23 July Getty Images Amber Heard with her girlfriend Bianca Butti arrive at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Amber Heard arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice on 24 July Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images REUTERS PA AFP via Getty Images REUTERS Getty Images AFP via Getty Images SplashNews.com PA REUTERS AFP via Getty Images REUTERS SplashNews.com REUTERS

She claims Depp was violent regularly between 2013 and 2016, when she first made public her claims of domestic violence while filing for divorce and seeking a court-ordered restraining order.

“Johnny has said he was never violent or abusive towards me during our relationship. That is not true”, Heard said in her witness statements made public today for the first time.

(Elizabeth Cook/PA ) / Elizabeth Cook/PA

“He was both physically and verbally abusive. The physical abuse and the worst of the verbal abuse would usually happen when he was drunk or high on drugs, which was often. Much of the time he had difficultly recalling what he had done once he had slept it off.”

Depp denies he was ever violent in the marriage, insisting that Heard is behind a “hoax” against him and that she was in fact the abuser. But Heard insisted: “The physical abuse included punching, slapping, kicking, head-butting and choking me, as well as throwing me into things, pulling me by my hair, and shoving me or pushing me to the ground.

Amber Heard arriving at court on Monday / PA

“He threw things at me, especially glass bottles. He was always antagonised by shows of will, like me standing up after he had knocked me down. Often, especially earlier in the relationship, I wouldn’t even block the blows; I would just freeze and disassociate.” She added: “Some incidents were so severe that I was afraid he was going to kill me, either intentionally or just by losing control and going too far. He explicitly threatened to kill me many times, especially later in our relationship.”

Heard claims Depp’s behaviour was “extremely controlling and intimidating”, including keeping track of her movements, where she was staying and who she was meeting, but she initially found his attention “romantic”. She said he used his “charisma” to talk away the violent incidents, blaming them on “the monster” within him.

Heard claims Depp directed his “intensity and darkness” towards her, telling the court: “When I say he was dark, he had a violent and dark way of speaking — the way he talked about our relationship being ‘dead or alive’ and telling me that death was the only way out of the relationship.

“The way he would describe what he wanted to do to me if I left him or hurt him, for example, carving my face up so no one else would want me, and in his language towards others whom he didn’t like or was threatened by, detailing how he wanted to have someone tortured or how cheap and easy it would be to have someone knocked off.”

Heard suggested Depp had accused her of having affairs in “movie after movie”, with other stars including Liam Hemsworth and Channing Tatum. She claims Depp suspected an affair with Leonardo DiCaprio, nicknaming him “pumpkin-head”, while he called Tatum “potato-head”.

Starting to answer questions this morning, Ms Heard insisted she had wanted to sign a pre-nuptial agreement with Depp. “I made it clear I was not interested in Johnny’s money,” she said. The trial continues.