Airplane incident

**Airplane incident**, also known as **Assault incident #4**, refers to an incident in which Johnny Depp kicked Amber Heard in the back following a row over James Franco. The incident took place on or about May 24, 2014 on a private plane flying from Boston to Los Angeles.

## Lead-up and outcome

During the time of the incident, Heard was filming movie The Adderall Diaries with actor James Franco in New York and Depp was filming the movie Black Mass in Boston. Depp did not like when she filmed romantic scenes with other actors and was especially uncomfortable with her filming with Franco. The pair frequently fought over Franco on the phone.

When the two reunited to celebrate the birthday of Depp’s daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, they boarded a private jet that Depp had chartered to fly to Los Angeles for the party.

### Heard's account

Depp was heavily intoxicated and agitated. He interrogated Heard on her scenes with Franco, and displeased with the answers, he started insulting Heard's body, taunting her and calling her names in front of his security and staff. As Heard got up slowly as not to aggravate Depp, he began throwing objects, including ice cubes and utensils, at her. When Heard stopped replying to Depp’s questions, he slapped her on the face.

Trying to move away from Depp, Heard felt Depp kick her in the back, causing her to fall over. He then threw his boot at her while she was on the ground. Depp continued to scream obscenities until he went into the bathroom of the aeroplane and passed out. Heard claimed it was the first time anything like that had happened in front of somebody. “No one said anything. No one did anything. You could hear a pin drop on that plane. You could feel the tension. But nobody did anything… I felt so embarrassed that he could kick me to the ground in front of people.”

In court, she provided an audio recording of Depp “howling” in the bathroom.

### Depp's account

Depp admitted he was intoxicated and did blackout during parts of the flight, but claimed he was never violent towards Heard. According to Depp, he had been sketching on the plane when Heard began verbally abusing him. He claimed he had only given her a "playful tap on the bottom with his foot" and that Heard took great offence at this harmless act, and continued to verbally berate him. According to Depp, eventually his assistant Stephen Deuters and bodyguard Jerry Judge intervened to calm Heard down, and the flight continued to Los Angeles without incident. Depp took himself to the plane's bathroom, locked the door and slept on the floor with a pillow.

Depp challenged the notion that it was him howling in Heard’s audio file or that it was from that specific incident.

## Aftermath

The next day, on May 25th, Depp was apologetic and sent Heard a text message admitting, "Once again, I find myself in a place of shame and regret. Of course, I am sorry … I will never do it again … My illness somehow crept up and grabbed me … I feel so bad for letting you down."

Heard had also communicated with Deuters, regarding the incident. In the messages Deuters said he told Depp the following morning that Depp had kicked Heard and revealed to Heard that Depp cried when hearing that.

## References

1. ↑ Evan Real (May 5, 2022). Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp ‘hated’ James Franco, suspected affair. Page Six.