Amber Heard has accused ex-husband Johnny Depp of abusing her both physically and verbally while he was allegedly bingeing on drink and drugs, claiming that at various times during their tempestuous relationship she feared for her life.

On the first day of her testimony Monday at Britain’s High Court in London, Heard also denied accusations she was a heavy drug-taker and drinker as well as a controlling and abusive person. The court is examining Depp’s libel suit against The Sun newspaper over an April 2018 article that labelled him a “wife beater” for allegedly abusing Heard.

Chronicling a series of incidents over their deteriorating relationship, that allegedly included Depp throwing a magnum of champagne and a phone at her, Heard insisted any action she took in response was purely in self-defense.

“When I felt my life was threatened, I tried to defend myself and that started to happen years into the relationship, years into the violence," she told the court. "Before that, I didn’t even try to defend myself, I just checked out.”

Depp's lawyer Eleanor Laws played a recording of an argument between the pair in which Depp accuses Heard of throwing pots and other items at him the night before. Heard said she had hit — but not punched — Depp and that she had only thrown things “to escape him."

Heard said the argument, like so many others, had stemmed from Depp passing out once again in the bathroom after another binge.