Amber Heard's ex-assistant claims actress stole her rape story, twisted it into her own story for benefit
Amber Heard's former personal assistant has accused Heard of 'stealing' her rape story and 'twisting' it to suit her. Heard's ex-assistant, Kate James, broke her silence and submitted a statement in the London High Court that she had been raped at knifepoint when she was 26 years old when traveling in Brazil. She claimed that Heard had later "twisted it into her own story to benefit herself." She had been Heard's PA between March 2012 and February 2015. In 2013, she had shared her horrific ordeal with the 'Aquaman' star.
James recently gave evidence to Johnny Depp's blockbuster libel trial against The Sun. An article from 2018 by The Sun had dubbed the actor as a "wife-beater" leading to him suing the publication for libel. While speaking to the court, James said Heard had asked to hear her story about surviving the ordeal, and the two had spoken in Heard's office. Heard had also suggested that James should buy a gun, Daily Mail reports.
James had responded saying that she saw herself as a 'rape survivor' and not a 'rape victim'. Parts of James' statement was read out in court. James said that she had received documents related to the High Court libel hearing only last month. "As I perused the documents, much to my utter shock and dismay, I discovered that Ms Heard had in fact stolen my sexual violence conversation with her and twisted it into her own story to benefit herself," she revealed. "This of course caused me extreme distress and outrage that she would dare to attempt to use the most harrowing experience of my life as her own narrative," she added.
The lawyer for The Sun, Sasha Wass, questioned James as to why she was giving evidence to which James said, "I'm a sexual violence survivor and it's very serious to take that stance if you are not one and I am one and that's the reason I'm here because I take offense." She was also questioned by Depp's lawyer David Sherborne to whom she said, "Amber Heard referred to conversations about me being raped in Brazil. She twisted it into her own story, she used it for her own use."
Previously, James had shared with the court that Heard would have "vast quantities of red wine" every night and then send her a host of abusive text messages. "I knew she drank wine because when I would go (to her house) in the morning there would be a lot of bottles there. I would also receive a barrage of drunken, incoherent abusive text messages between the hours of 2-4 in the morning."
James shared how she "never saw any physical violence" by Depp or Heard and was at the pair's home almost every day including on weekends. She also praised Depp for being "calm and quite shy" and "always thoughtful and kind and a genuinely decent person." She also revealed that Depp had taught her son to play the guitar. James has been a PA to many notable celebrities and had reportedly dubbed Heard as 'the least famous person' she has ever worked for.