Johnny Depp‘s dramatic, public re-enactment of his and Amber Heard‘s relationship continued in court on Wednesday, as the former couple battled in a violent libel case.

Heard, 35, was visible parallel to Depp, 58, in the video feed of the hearing, responding to his claims and seeming to be taking notes.

Also read: Johnny Depp set to testify in defamation trial against Amber Heard

“Ms. Heard was unable to be wrong,” Depp stated at the start of his testimony. Heard, he said, would resort to “demeaning name-calling” that “would escalate to full-scale arguments.”

“If there is a dialogue between two people, both people need to speak,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor continued, “but there was no way to fit a word in.”

“I was having difficulty in my mind and my heart dealing with that kind of barrage,” Depp explained.

Also read: Former assistant says Amber Heard spit in her face when asked for a raise

Depp is the first half of a divorced couple to take the stand and testify against his former spouse, more than a week into the trial in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Depp is suing Heard, 35, for $50 million, claiming she defamed him in a December 2018 opinion post published in The Washington Post (which is printed in Fairfax County). She claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse in her column.

Depp began his testimony regarding his childhood maltreatment on Wednesday, telling the courtroom, “You start to realise you’re in a relationship with your mother.”

Also read: Explained: Anti-SLAPP provision tied with Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial

Heard, he alleged, would frequently use the intimate things he divulged about his life as “ammunition,” which “sent me into a tailspin of confusion, depression.”

To avoid being confrontational, Depp said he would remove himself from their arguments by leaving the room or locking himself in the bathroom. He said he learnt such avoidance as a coping tactic when he was younger.

“I was sure that it was going to escalate into violence which it oftentimes did,” when he would appear, he said. “Ms. Heard in her frustration and rage would strike out. She would … it could begin with a shove, she would throw the TV remote at my head, it could be throwing a glass of wine at my face. But, all in all, it was just constant.”

Also read: Elon Musk, James Franco among witnesses for Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial

“Why would you hit someone to make them agree with you?” he added later.

When asked why he continued his relationship with Heard, Depp stated, “That’s a very complicated answer. I can only say that I stayed through all that, I’m sure it’s somehow related to my father remaining stoic as my mother would beat him to death. I’m sure it had something to do with having been in a beautiful, wonderful 14-15 year relationship with the mother of my children, raising those kids.” 

Depp and Vanessa Paradis have a daughter, Lily-Rose, 22, and a son, Jack Depp, 20.

Also read: Amber Heard subpoenas LAPD in case against Johnny Depp

“I stayed, I suppose because my father stayed,” he added. “I didn’t want to fail. I wanted to try to make it work. I thought maybe I could help her.”

Depp said that his mother had tried suicide several times, which Heard had supposedly threatened. “Ms. Heard had spoken about suicide on a couple of occasions, so that was also a factor,” he explained of his decision to stay in the relationship.