Winona Ryder is coming out swinging for her ex Johnny Depp. The 48-year-old submitted a declaration on behalf of the beleaguered Pirates of the Caribbean star, according to court docs.
She is supporting the 56-year-old in his very public battle with his ex Amber Heard, who has accused him of domestic violence.
Ryder wrote: “I knew Johnny very well years ago. We were together as a couple for four years, and I counted him as my best friend, and as close to me as family. I count our relationship as one of the more significant relationships of my life. 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.”
It gets even more pointed.
Ryder stated: “He was never, never violent towards me. He was never, never abusive at all towards me. 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. I find it extremely upsetting knowing him as I do.”
Ryder and Depp were engaged from 1990-93. Depp and Amber were married from 2015-17.
After Heard claimed that Depp abused her, he hit her with a $50 million defamation suit in March of 2019. The case is ongoing.
