Winona Ryder defends Johnny Depp against ‘impossible to believe’ domestic violence allegations

Actor, who was formerly engaged to Depp, said she didn’t ‘want to call anyone a liar’

Winona Ryder has defended her ex Johnny Depp in a sworn deposition against accusations of domestic violence by Amber Heard.

The Stranger Things actor declared that the allegations were “impossible to believe” based on her own experiences during her relationship with Depp.

Ryder and Depp were engaged to be married between 1990 and 1993, having met at a film premiere in 1989.

In a statement filed in a US court, Ryder said she was “absolutely shocked, confused and upset” by the allegations, and felt she needed to speak out on Depp’s behalf.

“I count our relationship as one of the more significant relationships of my life,” Ryder wrote. “I understand that it is very important that I speak from my own experience.”

She continued, “I obviously was not there during his marriage to Amber, but, from my experience, which was so wildly different, I was absolutely shocked, confused and upset when I heard the accusations against him. The idea that he is an incredibly violent person is the farthest thing from the Johnny I knew and loved. I cannot wrap my head around these accusations.”

Ryder added that Depp was “never, never violent” and “never, never abusive at all” towards her. She wrote: “He has never been violent or abusive towards anybody I have seen. I truly and honestly only know him as a really good man – an incredibly loving, extremely caring guy who was so very protective of me and the people that he loves, and I felt so very, very safe with him.”

“I do not want to call anyone a liar but from my experience of Johnny, it is impossible to believe that such horrific allegations are true,” Ryder continued. “I find it extremely upsetting knowing him as I do."

Depp is suing Heard in a $50m (£40m) defamation lawsuit, after claiming the actor called herself a survivor of domestic violence in an op-ed for The Washington Post.

Depp claims that it was actually Heard who was the “perpetrator” of the domestic violence in their relationship.

Heard’s lawyer has called Depp’s suit “baseless”, adding: “We fully intend to put an end to this meritless bullying of our client once and for all.”