According to a former couples therapist for Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the pair engaged in “mutual abuse” during the latter months of their turbulent marriage.

Dr. Laurel Anderson’s video testimony was shown to jurors on the third day of the $50 million (£38 million) defamation trial in Virginia.

Mr. Depp sued his ex-wife over a piece she published in which she claimed to have been a victim of domestic violence. He denies any wrongdoing.

Ms. Heard counterclaimed for $100 million.

Ms. Anderson testified in February that she saw the celebrity couple for many therapy sessions between October and December 2015. Mr. Heard filed for divorce in May 2016 after a marriage of only 15 months.

Mr. Depp and Ms. Heard had a volatile relationship, with both threatening to walk out of sessions during disputes, according to the psychotherapist.

Ms. Anderson stated that during sessions in which Mr. Depp was not present, Ms. Heard disclosed physical assault at the hands of her then-husband. Ms. Heard arrived at her office on one occasion with multiple tiny bruises on her face, she testified.

Ms. Heard started violent exchanges on multiple occasions in an attempt to prevent Mr. Depp from leaving, Ms. Anderson stated.

“It was a point of pride to her if she felt disrespected, to initiate a fight,” Ms. Anderson told jurors. “If he was going to leave her to de-escalate from the fight, she would strike him to keep him there, she would rather be in a fight than have him leave.”

Ms. Anderson stated that Ms. Heard frequently interrupted Mr. Depp during treatment sessions.

“Ms. Heard had a jackhammer style of talking,” the clinical psychologist said. “She was very amped up. He had trouble talking at a similar pace. He was cut off a lot.”

Ms. Anderson testified about domestic abuse in both Ms. Heard’s and Mr. Depp’s families. Ms. Heard claimed that her father abused her, while Mr. Depp claimed that his mother abused him.

Mr. Depp, Ms. Anderson stated, had been “well-controlled” for decades prior to meeting Ms. Heard and had not engaged in violence with previous partners. “With Ms. Heard, he was triggered. They were engaging in what I perceived to be reciprocal abuse.”

Ms. Heard’s 2018 opinion post in the Washington Post, in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse,” is at issue in the trial. Mr. Depp claims the story – which does not name him – is defamatory and has harmed his career.

Jurors have already heard contradictory descriptions of Depp and Heard’s relationship.

Mr. Depp has been described as a physically and sexually aggressive boyfriend who is prone to drug and alcohol binges by Ms. Heard’s team.

Mr. Depp’s team has characterized Ms. Heard’s allegations of domestic violence as a “hoax” and a premeditated effort to smear his reputation.

Additionally, on Thursday, Kate James, a former personal assistant to Ms. Heard, spoke about what allegedly occurred when she requested a salary increase from her then-boss.

Ms. James said: “She [Ms. Heard] leaped up out of her chair, put her face approximately four inches from my face. She was spitting in my face, telling me how dare you ask me for the salary you’re asking for.”

The trial, which is scheduled to run for at least six weeks, will be televised live and will feature several prominent witnesses, including James Franco, Paul Bettany, and Elon Musk.

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