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Kate Moss Explained Why She Chose To Defend Johnny Depp In His Defamation Trial Against Amber Heard
In May, Moss testified against claims that Depp once pushed her down a flight of stairs while they were dating in the mid-1990s.
Kate Moss is speaking out about defending Johnny Depp in court.
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In case you need reminding, Moss — who is notoriously private and rarely gives interviews — came forward to testify in Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard in May.
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The British supermodel was asked to comment on a rumor that had been raised by Heard during the trial, claiming that Depp had once shoved Moss down a flight of stairs when they were dating between 1994 and 1998.
For context, this claim was first alleged by Heard back in 2020, when she was called to testify in a separate defamation trial Depp leveled against the Sun in the UK.
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Speaking to the British court at the time, Heard reportedly said: “I remembered information I had heard [that] he pushed a former girlfriend — I believe it was Kate Moss — down the stairs. I had heard this rumor from two people and it was fresh in my mind.”
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Depp lost this case, and while the trial was ongoing, his team accused Heard of fabricating the rumor about Moss.
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Two years later, the alleged incident became a topic of discussion once again during Depp and Heard’s defamation trial in the US, whereby the actor sued his former wife for $50 million over claims she made in an op-ed back in 2018.
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So, in the more recent case, Heard said that she tried to hit Depp after being reminded of “Kate Moss and stairs” during an altercation involving her younger sister, Whitney Henriquez.
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“[Whitney’s] back was to the staircase, and Johnny swings at her,” Heard testified in May. “I don’t hesitate, I don’t wait — I just, in my head, instantly think of Kate Moss and stairs.”
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This prompted Depp’s team to call upon Moss to testify about the rumor herself, denying that it ever happened.
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Appearing in court via video link on May 25, Moss countered claims that she was ever pushed by Depp, instead claiming that she slipped and fell after there had been a rainstorm.
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“I slid down the stairs and I hurt my back,” she said. “He never pushed me, kicked me, or threw me down any stairs.”
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She explained that Depp had not been in the room at the time of her fall, but that he came to her assistance after hearing her cry out in pain.
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“I screamed because I didn’t know what had happened to me, and he came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention,” Moss said.
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During the testimony, Depp’s lawyer asked Moss about why she had decided on this occasion to appear as a witness for the first time in any court case. However, Heard’s team objected to the question.
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Now, speaking out once again, Moss opened up about what moved her to defend her former partner, telling BBC Radio 4 in a rare interview: “I know the truth about Johnny.”
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Shedding more light on her participation in the trial, Moss made reference to the designer John Galliano, who was found guilty of antisemitic abuse in 2011 and was fired from his role at Christian Dior as a result.
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“I believe in the truth, and I believe in fairness and justice. I know that John Galliano is not a bad person — he had an alcohol problem and people turn,” she began. “People aren’t themselves when they drink, and they say things that they would never say if they were sober.”
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Seemingly drawing comparisons between the public attitudes toward both men, Moss continued: “I know the truth about Johnny [Depp]. I know he never kicked me down the stairs. I had to say that truth.”
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Depp won the trial on June. 2 and was awarded over $10 million. The jury also sided with Heard on one of her three counterclaims. Heard is currently in the process of attempting to appeal Depp’s win.
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