Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Winona Ryder defends ex-fiancé Johnny Depp: 'He was never abusive at all'

Share this:

Winona Ryder famously dated Johnny Depp for four years as a rising starlet in Hollywood. The pair got engaged when Winona was still a teenager.

And throughout their relationship Winona says she never experienced any abuse from Johnny, who is now facing claims that he physically abused his estranged wife Amber Heard.

Jumping to her ex-fiancé's defence, Winona told Time: "I can only speak from my own experience, which was wildly different than what is being said. He was never, never that way towards me. Never abusive at all towards me."

winona© Photo: Getty Images

Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp got engaged when the actress was a teen

She added: "I only know him as a really good, loving, caring guy who is very, very protective of the people that he loves."

Johnny, 53, and Amber, 30, are in the middle of divorce proceedings. In May the actress was granted a restraining order after she claimed that the Oscar nominee had physically and verbally abused her throughout the "entirety" of their 15-month marriage.

JOHNNY AND AMBER'S LOVE STORY IN PICTURES

Johnny's attorney Laura Wasser has since denied the allegations, and argued that Amber is trying to gain further financial security.

johnny split© Photo: Getty Images

Amber Heard has been granted a restraining order from Johnny

Winona, 44, admits that as an outsider, she doesn't know what happened, but she is struggling to believe the reports that Johnny was allegedly abusive.

"I wasn't there," said Winona. "I don't know what happened. I'm not calling anyone a liar. I'm just saying it's difficult and upsetting for me to wrap my head around it.

johnny venice© Photo: Getty Images

The couple were married for 15 months

"Look, it was a long time ago, but we were together for four years, and it was a big relationship for me. Imagine if someone you dated when you were – I was 17 when I met him – was accused of that. It's just shocking. I have never seen him be violent toward a person before."

"It's just hard to picture," she added. "The only word I can come up with is unimaginable. You know with certain people you hear something and go, 'I can see that.' But this isn't that. I can only offer my own experience. It's such a serious, horrible thing to be accused of."