Johnny Depp insists he has 'not ever struck a woman'

Johnny Depp has insisted he has "not ever struck a woman".

The 58-year-old actor is suing his ex-wife Amber Heard for $50 million (S$68.3 million) for defamation after she wrote a piece for The Washington Post newspaper, in which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence, but the 35-year-old actress didn't name the Dark Shadows star so she has countersued for $100 million.

And the Pirates of the Caribbean star took to the stand at the Fairfax County Courthouse on Tuesday (April 10) to defend himself against allegations he was physically abusive.

Johnny slammed his ex-wife's allegations as "heinous and disturbing" and insisted they are "not based in any species of the truth". 

Admitting they had argued during their marriage, the Black Mass actor insisted: "I never struck Ms Heard in that way, nor have I struck any woman in my life."

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them actor claimed Amber's accusations sort of "permeated the industry" and he was keen to take the stand to defend himself for the sake of his and former partner Vanessa Paradis' two children, Lily-Rose, 22, and Jack, 20, who were teenagers when the allegations were made public.

He said:"I felt it was my responsibility to clear my name and my children of this horrid thing that they were having to read about their father. 

"My goal is the truth, because it killed me that people I'd met over the years... would think that I was a fraud and had lied to them". 

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He went on to discuss the impact the allegations have had on his Hollywood career.

He said: "It's very strange when you're Cinderella, so to speak, and then in zero seconds you're Quasimodo. I didn't deserve that. I pride myself on honesty and truth. Truth is the only thing I'm interested in, lies will get you nowhere. I'm obsessed with the truth." 

Johnny was also asked by his lawyer to talk about his childhood in Kentucky and the abuse he allegedly suffered at the hands of his mother.

He said: "I could see when she [his mother] was about to head into a situation where she was going to get riled up and someone was going to get it. And generally it was me…

"We were all somewhat shellshocked. She'd walk past and you'd shield yourself because you didn't know what was going to happen."

The Edward Scissorhands star was "very disappointed in" his father when he left the abusive marriage as he thought he left in a "cowardly and sneaky" manner, but realised the truth of the situation and his misconception years later.