Penelope Cruz defends Johnny Depp in suit against Amber Heard: 'He has always been kind to everyone around'
Penelope Cruz has come to the defense of "great friend" Johnny Depp and filed a declaration supporting his case in the defamation lawsuit he has filed against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp and Heard have been embroiled in a heated legal battle since March 2019 after Heard implied in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed that she had been a domestic violence victim at the hands of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star.
"I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out," she wrote in the piece.
In response, Depp filed a $50 million lawsuit against Heard at a Virginia court, claiming he was the victim of an "elaborate hoax" masterminded by his ex-wife so she could advance her career by damaging his reputation.
"Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is a perpetrator," he said in the lawsuit, where he also said her allegations had resulted in him losing his prized role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise.
Cruz, who was Depp's co-star in the franchise, as well as movies like 'Blow,' 'Stranger Tides,' and 'Murder on the Orient Express,' has filed a declaration throwing her support behind Depp in his legal fight and vouching for his character.
"I met Johnny when I was 19 years old," she wrote in the declaration, obtained by The Blast. "He was in Madrid and [director] Pedro Almodovar introduced him to me. The only sentences I knew how to say in English at that time were, 'How are you' and 'I want to work with Johnny Depp.'"
"Many years have passed and I have not only made 3 movies with him, but I also count on him as a great friend," she continued. "I’ve always been impressed by his kindness, his brilliant mind, his talent, and his peculiar sense of humor."
Cruz said Depp had always been "kind to everyone around" him and that the actor is "one of the most generous people I know," adding that he had been especially supportive during her pregnancy, which coincided with their shoot for 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'
"During six months of my first pregnancy, I spent every single day with him while we shot Pirates of the Caribbean," she said. "My husband [actor Javier Bardem] and I will never forget the sweetness, protection, and kindness he treated me with during every single step of that process."
"We love him very much and I feel lucky to have someone so special in our lives."
