Depp denies abusing ex-wife, says he never hit a woman

Actor Johnny Depp has testified in his $50m (£38m) defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard that he never struck her.

The lawsuit is over an opinion piece Heard wrote for the Washington Post in which she called herself a victim of domestic violence. He denies any abuse.

Heard has sued back, with a $100m counterclaim against Depp.

The closely watched civil trial, which is taking place in Virginia, is now in its second week.

Heard's team has portrayed Depp as an abusive partner prone to drug and alcohol binges.

Depp's team has presented Heard's claims of domestic violence as a "hoax" and a calculated strategy to ruin his reputation.

Speaking to the jury on Tuesday, Depp said the truth was all that mattered to him now.

"I never struck Heard in that way, nor have I struck any woman in my life," he testified, adding that "her accusations sort of permeated the industry".

"It's been six years of trying times - so strange when one day you're Cinderella, so to speak, and then in 0.6 seconds, you're Quasimodo," he said, describing how people's attitudes towards him changed after Heard's op-ed was published.

The trial has focused so far on Depp's demeanour and whether he was ever verbally or physically abusive towards Heard. Lawyers for Depp have accused his ex-wife, an actress, of giving the "performance of her life" in her descriptions of alleged abuse.

Depp began his testimony saying that Heard's claims are "not based in any species of the truth".

His lawyer went on to ask him to describe his childhood in Kentucky, and the abuse that he suffered from his mother.

"I could see when she