At his defamation trial against his former wife Amber Heard, Johnny Depp has taken on a familiar role as the leading man: testy at moments, rambling and lyrical at others.

During his three days on the witness stand, the three-time Oscar nominee attempted to persuade a jury that Heard’s claims of domestic abuse are false and have ruined his career.

Lawyers representing the 36-year-old Heard have pounced on Depp’s 58-year-old history of drug and alcohol abuse in an attempt to discredit him.

Under cross-examination by Heard’s attorneys, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor has mainly kept his calm, although he has showed intermittent flashes of rage.

When asked to respond to a “simple yes or no question” by her attorney Ben Rottenborn, Depp said, “Nothing is easy in this case.”

Depp has also mastered the back-and-forth of the Virginia courtroom, where high-powered attorneys on opposing sides routinely interrupt each other to protest about hearsay.

“I think that’s rumour,” Depp joked of one of his own remarks, eliciting laughs from the audience, which included some of the actor’s followers. “I’m studying.”

During his usually long-winded responses, the actor has gone poetic at other times.

Depp equated the domestic violence claims against him to “running between droplets of lava” when asked about them.

“You’re attempting to flee from rains that are killing and destroying you.”

‘Monster’ is a term used to describe a monster.

Depp wore his hair in a ponytail, wore earrings, and wore hefty rings to the trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

In court, he favours three-piece outfits, and on Thursday he dressed all in black: black suit, black vest, black shirt, and black tie.

Heard, a Texas native who starred in the film “Aquaman,” has mostly worn black pant suits with a different haircut every day.

During Depp’s evidence, she remained mainly stoic, listening intently, speaking with her attorneys, and taking notes on a yellow legal pad.

When a video of an enraged Depp banging cabinet doors in their kitchen was released on Thursday, she visibly flinched.

The actress was visibly upset when an audiotape of her pleading with Depp not to cut himself with a knife was played for the jury.

Depp’s counsel have said that when he is intoxicated or on illicit substances, he becomes a physically and sexually abusive “monster,” and they have questioned him extensively about his substance usage.

“We drank together,” Depp stated when asked about partying with Marilyn Manson. We’ve probably done cocaine together a number of times.”

Depp admitted to having “no food for days, powders, half a bottle of whiskey, 1,000 Red Bull and vodkas, tablets, and two bottles of champers” in a text message to another buddy, actor Paul Bettany.

– Messages sent by text Messaging

During the first week of the trial, there have been enough celebrity allusions to fill a tabloid.

According to Depp, he believes actor James Franco is having an affair with Heard.

For her part, Heard was envious of Depp’s “Winona Forever” tattoo, which was an homage to former girlfriend Winona Ryder.

According to Depp, the last two letters of the tattoo were deleted, and the tattoo now reads “Wino Forever.”

Depp was questioned about text messages to singer Patti Smith from Elton John and others seeking sobriety help, in which he admitted to drinking too much.

Domestic abuse is at the heart of the case, as both Depp and Heard have accused other other of being aggressive during their marriage, which lasted from 2015 to 2017.

Depp claimed he informed many others about being hit by Heard, including filmmaker Tim Burton, who he described as one of his “dearest friends,” and Alice Cooper, a member of Depp’s band, “The Hollywood Vampires.”

Depp’s obscene text messages to several persons have been read out in court, in which he refers to Heard as a “slippery whore” and other derogatory terms.

Depp refers to his ex-girlfriend, singer Vanessa Paradis, the mother of his two children, as a “French extortionist” in one letter.

When asked about the texts, Depp said that he may be excessive, but added, “When I send a text… it’s a canvas, it’s a painting.”

Depp is suing Heard for describing herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse” in a column she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018.

Depp sued Heard for saying he was an abuser and is demanding $50 million in damages, according to Heard.

Heard countersued, saying she was subjected to “rampant physical assault and abuse” at his hands and requesting $100 million in damages.

On Monday, the trial will resume.