The Fear and Loathing of Ellen Barkin and Johnny Depp: Actress once said 'there's an air of violence around him'
The legal face-off between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard is on a break as Judge Penney Azcarate, who presides over the case, had to attend a conference. The drama will resume again on May 16 with Heard continuing her testimony. After the ‘Aquaman’ actress, her sister Whitney Henriquez and actress Ellen Barkin are expected to testify against Depp.
TV-radio-podcast host Angenette Levy tweeted: “NEW INFO: #AmberHeard will return to the stand next Monday and we can tell you actress Ellen Barkin will testify along with AH sister, Whitney Henriquez. And, #JohnnyDepp will be called to testify @LawCrimeNetwork @lawcrimenews #JohnnyDeppVsAmberHeard.”
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NEW INFO: #AmberHeard will return to the stand next Monday and we can tell you actress Ellen Barkin will testify along with AH sister, Whitney Henriquez. And, #JohnnyDepp will be called to testify @LawCrimeNetwork @lawcrimenews #JohnnyDeppVsAmberHeard
— Angenette Levy (@Angenette5) May 11, 2022
While Heard’s sister will reportedly physically appear in court, Barkin is said to be giving a virtual testimony. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told The Daily Beast, “Ellen’s testimony will be critical to Heard’s [case]” as she “needs independent witnesses to corroborate her story.”
Juda Engelmayer, a crisis communications expert, added: “Ellen Barkin’s star power might now be what Amber Heard’s team are counting on, [but] coming in via video is not going to be as impactful as if she were sitting on the stand in front of them.”
Do Ellen Barkin and Johnny Depp have a history?
Barkin is a 68-year-old actress, who has been in the entertainment industry for over four decades. She was honored with a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance as an alcoholic mother in the 1997 drama ‘Before Women Had Wings’. The New York-born was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her 1991 movie ‘Switch’.
According to Barkin’s IMDb profile, she attended Manhattan's High School of the Performing Arts and also studied at Hunter College. She received her degree with a double major in history and drama. At one point, she wanted to teach ancient history, but instead turned her thoughts back to her first love: acting. Barkin then continued her education at New York's Actor's Studio.
Her first movie in a lead role was ‘Diner’ (1982). Her other impressive offbeat projects included roles in ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’ (1998), ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ (1999), and ‘Mercy’ (2000). She also starred in the TV movie 'Blood Money' (1988).
Barkin met Depp during the filming of ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’. Reportedly, the two actors briefly dated each other while she was still married to Irish actor Gabriel Byrne. Commenting on the time she spent with the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor, Barkin had said: “There is always an air of violence around him.”
The mother-of-two had also testified against Depp at the 2020 UK trial and accused him of throwing a wine bottle. She told the UK court while the Depp vs News Group Newspapers Ltd case was ongoing: “Yes, Mr. Depp threw a wine bottle across the room, the hotel room, in one instance, in Las Vegas, while we were shooting Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. There was just this world of violence…He is a yeller. He is verbally abusive.”
However, when the 58-year-old star was asked about Barkin’s allegations, he claimed, “She wanted a proper relationship with me and I did not want that. I didn't feel the same about her as she did me and I suppose from that moment on she became very, very angry.”