A ctress Amber Heard told the High Court today she was “terrified of the monster” in her marriage to Johnny Depp as she fended off claims that her domestic abuse allegations are lies.

The 34-year-old Aquaman star says she feared being killed by Depp during years of drug and drink fuelled abuse, claiming he threatened to “carve her up” or pay someone to assault her if she ever left him.

Heard detailed her claims of violence in lengthy witness statements released today for the first time, accusing Depp of controlling her movements and harming her Hollywood career with his jealous behaviour.

Giving evidence, Heard said Depp blamed the bouts of violence on the “monster” within him, which she said he called a “sickness'.

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

“I was in a relationship with two”, she said. “One was Johnny, I loved Johnny, I was not terrified of Johnny.

“I was terrified of the monster, almost a third party in the relationship that he had identified early on.”

Heard defended her decision to contact Depp after calling time on their marriage in 2016, stating: “It was that - the monster - that I was terrified about”.

Heard is giving evidence in the third week of Depp’s libel trial against The Sun’s publisher News Group Newspapers, after a 2018 article by executive editor Dan Wootton called the star a “wife beater”.

The actress says the allegations are true, and is supporting The Sun’s case that it was entitled to use the term.

She said she met Depp when they were filming the Rum Diary in 2009, and having bonded over shared loves of poetry, blues music, art, and red wine, they started a relationship.

“It was like I was dating a king, with his level of fame and the way he lived”, she said in her witness statement.

“I learned then that I had to suspend all expectations of normalcy, but I later came to understand how this protected him, isolated me and facilitated unacceptable behaviour.”

The lid was lifted off their marriage in May 2016, when Heard went to an LA court apparently sporting a bruised cheek to file for divorce and seek a restraining order.

Depp’s lawyer, Eleanor Laws QC, suggested the mark – said to have been inflicted by a flung telephone - had been “done yourself with make-up, lighting, or whatever means. It wasn’t an injury from Mr Depp.”

(Elizabeth Cook/PA ) / Elizabeth Cook/PA

But Heard replied: “I disagree wholeheartedly - I know what my face looked like, I know I had an injury.”

She added: “I’ve never changed my story and I haven’t made anything up.”

The case centres on 14 allegations of domestic violence against Depp. He denies them all and accuses Heard of orchestrating a #MeToo “hoax” against him.

Heard says Depp, 57, referred to their romance as “dead or alive” in dark conversations, and she claims he was habitually jealous of co-stars including Channing Tatum, Kevin Costner, and Eddie Redmayne.

She claims Depp nicknamed Leonardo DiCaprio “pumpkin-head” and suspected Heard was having an affair with the Titanic star following an audition, adding that he restricted the kind of films and scenes she was able to do.

“His rules got tighter every year we were together about what nudity or scenes were acceptable, wanting descriptions of every detail, every aspect of scenes and how they were covered, placing increasing restrictions on what I could and couldn’t do”, she said.

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“I found myself making concessions and turning down work. My salary went down every year I was with him because of all the work I was missing.”

Of the alleged violence, she said: “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.”

Describing alleged blows from Depp, Heard told the court: “Johnny is quite a bit bigger than me. He wears those heavy rings on all his fingers and made a habit of doing so.

“When he grabbed me by the hair - which he did especially in the last year or year and a half of the marriage a lot - when that hand full of big heavy rings landed on your skull it makes quite an impact.

“Whether he intended that as a hit in itself or simply trying to grab my head, it’s still an impact.”

And she claimed the star had told her repeatedly: “The only way out of this was death”.

Heard will resume her evidence tomorrow from 10am. The trial continues.