Amber Heard spoke in court in Virginia on Wednesday for many hours about her early beginnings and her initial contacts with the “charismatic” Johnny Depp on the set of the 2011 film The Rum Diary in Puerto Rico.

Several years later, the duo met on a press tour for the film, during which Heard stated they “fell in love.”

The bliss of their early phases of their relationship, the 36-year-old actress claimed, was quickly ruined by derogatory comments he began making in 2012 – the same year she claims the actor first struck her.

“I will never forget it,” she claimed of the first alleged physical assault.

The Aquaman actress attempted to depict the Pirates of the Caribbean actor as someone who could be kind and sympathetic, but who would fly into rages – sometimes over imagined infidelity – when under the influence of drink or drugs.

Amber Heard said he tried to hide his substance misuse, which included anything from drinking spirits to taking “a lot” of cocaine.

“He’d make allegations after accusations, and then he’d erupt,” Ms Heard alleged, adding that Mr Depp would slap and “backhand” her. Ms Heard stated that he would “vanish” following the bouts.

“He’d come back clean and sober, extra sweet and extra sorry, and we’d be back on track,” she continued.

Heard reportedly claimed that Mr Depp performed a “cavity search” on her during an incident at a drug-fueled desert party in Hicksville, California.