Johnny Depp libel case: Ex-PA claims Amber Heard stole her rape story and ‘twisted’ it

Amber Heard has sensationally been accused of “stealing” her ex-PA’s brutal rape story, “twisting” it for her own benefit.

Amber Heard has been accused of “stealing” her former personal assistant’s rape story and “twisting” it to use for herself in an explosive court declaration.

Kate James – who worked for Heard from 2012-2015 – wrote in a statement delivered that she was left “distressed and outraged” when she read documents relating to Heard’s alleged domestic abuse at the hands of ex-husband Johnny Depp and quickly recognised her own account.

Her declaration was given in London’s High Court as part of Depp’s lawsuit against the publisher and executive editor of Britain’s The Sun* newspaper continued over a 2018 story branding him a “wife beater”.

Depp has firmly denied the allegations of physical abuse.

Depp is suing over an article describing him as a ‘wife beater’. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP

Heard arrives at the High Court in London. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP

“When I was 26 years old and travelling around Brazil, I was violently raped by an unknown male at machete point, having been woken by the perpetrator while sleeping alone in my dwelling,” Ms James wrote.

“This attack went on for five to six hours and I narrowly escaped with my life. This tortuous experience of such extreme sexual violence has haunted me ever since.”

Ms James said that in 2013, Heard – who was then her employer – overheard her discussing the attack with a friend and “summoned” her to her office and “questioned” her about it.

According to the ex-aide, Heard was “curious” as to how she had coped in the aftermath and suggested she “buy a gun” but Ms James was “shocked at the suggestion”.

RELATED: ‘Pathetic’ photo of Depp released

Heard and Depp’s tumultuous relationship has been put under the microscope. Picture: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP

She explained that she had only realised her former boss had “stolen” her sexual violence experience after receiving court documents related to the libel hearing late last month.

“As I perused the documents, much to my utter shock and dismay, I discovered that Ms Heard had in fact stolen my sexual violence conversation with her and twisted it into her own story to benefit herself,” alleged Ms James.

“This of course caused me extreme distress and outrage that she would dare to attempt to use the mostly harrowing experience of my life as her own narrative.”

As well as the libel lawsuit, Ms James is also due to testify in the upcoming defamation case between Depp and Heard in Virginia, over an op-ed published by the actress in The Washington Post about being a public survivor of abuse.

During Wednesday’s court proceedings, a picture was released casting doubt over Heard’s account of an infamous blow-up during the couple’s stay in Queensland in March 2015 which resulted in Depp’s finger being partially severed.

The ex-spouses have both delivered conflicting versions of how the tip of the Pirates Of The Caribbean star’s finger was sliced off, leading to his hospitalisation, with Depp claiming Heard cut it off by throwing a bottle of vodka at him, while Heard has said it happened when Depp smashed a phone as he attacked her.

In a photograph released by Depp’s former estate manager Ben King and taken in the aftermath of the violent argument, the kitchen looks trashed and bloodied – although the landline phone on the bench appears to be completely undamaged.

RELATED: Depp accuses Heard of affairs and sick defecation prank

Photo submitted to court showing the kitchen/bar area of the couple’s rented Australian home – including an undamaged landline phone.

Refuting Heard’s allegation that the phone had been smashed against the wall by Depp during a violent assault, Mr King told the court that he “did not see any phones which had been broken”.

He also revealed he had stumped upon a piece of the actor's severed finger after being tasked with overseeing the clean-up operation following the alleged confrontation.

Mr King said he found it by the bar area of the home.

“It was mentioned that it may be somewhere and when I was clearing up I found it,” he said.

The estate manager – who worked for Depp in Australia, London and Vancouver between 2014 and 2016 – also claimed that Heard was “the antagoniser” in most of the arguments he witnessed.

Describing the couple as fighting “like schoolchildren” over what would start as “banal” disagreements, Mr King alleged that Heard was “more aggressive” and “goaded” Depp, while he was “always polite”.

However, the lawyer representing The Sun’s publisher, Sasha Wass, has already told the court that Depp allegedly caused around $100,000 worth of damage to the rental home in Queensland and subjected Heard to a ‘three-day hostage’ ordeal of physical assault which left her with multiple injuries.

Heard has accused Depp of 14 separate counts of violence toward her. Depp has denied the allegations.

* The Sun is owned by News Corporation, publisher of news.com.au