Amber Heard's legal team has responded to claims from Johnny Depp's representatives that she is giving the "performance of her life" in court.
A spokesperson for the legal team of the 56-year-old actor made the claim after Heard took to the stand to deliver her testimony this week, amid what has been a highly-publicized defamation trial between the former couple.
Depp is suing the Pineapple Express star for $50 million after she referred to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse" in a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post. Depp has repeatedly denied the allegations that he was physically violent toward his ex-wife.
Heard is countersuing for $100 million - claiming she was only ever violent against Depp in self-defense or defense of her younger sister, per NBC News.
Throughout the week, 36-year-old Heard has shared many allegations against Depp that have continued to make headlines, such as claiming she had to give up sex scenes in movies due to Depp's jealousy, as well as more allegations that her ex-husband was physically abusive against her.
However, Depp's representatives were left unconvinced at the allegations.
In a statement to People, a spokesperson for Depp's legal team branded Heard's testimony a "performance".
"As Mr. Depp's counsel correctly predicted in their opening statements last month, Ms. Heard did indeed deliver 'the performance of her life' in her direct examination," the spokesperson said.
They went on to claim that Heard's stories are increasingly fabricated in contrast to Depp's truthful account, saying: "While Ms. Heard's stories have continued to grow new and convenient details, Mr. Depp's recollections have remained exactly the same throughout the six painful years since her first allegations were made."
The statement continued: "His truth — the truth — is the same no matter the environment in which it has been presented," before concluding:
"The upcoming cross-examination from Mr. Depp's team will be most telling, and will certainly highlight the many fallacies Ms. Heard has now attempted to pass off as fact throughout her convoluted testimony."
Now, Heard's legal team has rebutted these comments.
In a written statement to news.com.au, Heard's team said: "As evidenced by the statement just released, Mr Depp’s defamation claim is falling apart so rapidly that his counsel are turning from prosecutor to persecutor."
The spokesperson for the team then referenced several of Depp's previous legal defeats - including the libel case that saw a judge rule in favor of the UK tabloid The Sun after they branded the Pirates of the Caribbean star a "wife beater".
"They boast that Mr Depp’s story has not changed," Heard’s spokesman continued. "If so, since he lost the Domestic Violence Restraining Order and he resoundingly lost the libel case in the UK, perhaps he should consider a new strategy rather than the recycled approach of attacking the victim, and refusing to take responsibility for his own conduct.
"If Mr Depp was truly innocent, why has he repeatedly apologized to Ms Heard and promised to put the 'monster away for good.'"
