Kate Moss speaks out about testifying in Johnny Depp's defamation trial: 'I know the truth'

Kate Moss opened up about what emboldened her to testify on behalf of ex-boyfriend Johnny Depp during his highly publicized defamation trial against Amber Heard.

The British supermodel, who is notoriously private and rarely gives public interviews, testified as a rebuttal witness on behalf of Depp back in May to deny rumors that he shoved her down a flight of stairs. During a recent interview with BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Moss said she felt compelled to speak the truth when asked why she participated in the trial.

She referenced her fashion designer friend John Galliano, the former Dior designer found guilty of anti-Semitic abuse in 2011 after he hurled public insults at a bar in Paris, when asked about Depp and Heard's trial. "I believe in the truth, and I believe in fairness and justice," Moss said. "I know that John Galliano is not a bad person. He had an alcohol problem and people turn."

EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Kate Moss testifies in Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard

"People aren't themselves when they drink, and they say things that they would never say if they were sober," she continued, adding, "I know the truth about Johnny. I know he never kicked me down the stairs. I had to say that truth."

Heard accused Depp of physical, verbal, and sexual assault during the course of the trial, telling jurors that her ex-husband often became volatile while under the influence of alcohol and drugs. During her testimony, she insinuated that Depp once pushed Moss down a flight of stairs while recounting the first time she struck Depp, citing self defense.

"I just instantly think of Kate Moss and the stairs, and I swung at him," Heard testified. "In all my relationships to date, I hadn't [delivered] a blow. For the first time, I hit him square in the face." The reference paved the way for Moss to be called as a witness. In a video deposition, Moss, who dated Depp between 1994 and 1998, testified that Depp "never pushed me, kicked me, or threw me down any stairs."

Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Johnny Depp and Kate Moss circa the 1990s

The incident in question occurred while the two vacationed in Jamaica: "We were leaving the room, and Johnny left the room before I did," Moss testified. "There had been a rainstorm. As I left the room, I slid down the stairs and I hurt my back and I screamed because I didn't know what happened to me and I was in pain. He came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention."

A jury in Fairfax County, Va., ruled in June that Heard intentionally and maliciously defamed Depp when she wrote her 2018 Washington Post op-ed detailing her experiences as a domestic violence survivor. Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages (the judge later reduced the punitive damages to Virginia's statutory cap of $350,000). Heard earned a small countersuit victory of $2 million in compensatory damages.

Heard's team filed a motion to appeal the verdict last week. "We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment," a spokesperson for the actress said. "We are therefore appealing the verdict. While we realize today's filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice."

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