Actor Amber Heard will be forced to defend in court claims her Hollywood superstar husband Johnny Depp physically abused her.

Amber Heard, 30, filed for divorce from her 53-year-old husband in May, before levelling disturbing claims of violent abuse, and publicising photos purporting to support her story.

Depp’s representatives publicly dismissed the claims as “salacious false stories, gossip, misinformation and lies”, before the legal process commenced.

The case has been delayed by legal logistics and competing schedules, but on Tuesday, a judge set a deposition date of August 6 – allowing Depp’s team to question Heard over her abuse claims.

But it seems there’s no end in sight for the couple’s dramatic story, with Heard now claiming Depp’s extreme confidentiality requests are nothing but “blatant threats”.

Heard and Depp met on the set of their movie The Rum Diary. Photo: Getty

Depp’s team insists on grilling Heard

According to court documents seen by People Magazine, Depp and his team have insisted on grilling Heard in court over her damning abuse claims.

Depp’s team called the claims “meritless” in court documents.

Heard obtained a temporary restraining order from Depp the same day she filed for divorce.

“During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me,” the actress said in a sworn statement, claiming her husband had a “totally acknowledged public and private history of drug and alcohol abuse”.

The actor’s legal team had their request to depose Heard denied in early June, after failing to give Heard the required 10 days notice before her deposition.

Heard is currently filming Justice League in England, but told the court “I remain willing to attend my deposition on a mutually convenient date in the future and cooperate with any required requests in that regard.”

‘Nothing leaves the court room’

Heard’s bruised face appeared on the cover of People magazine. Photo: Getty

Ahead of the court case, Depp’s legal team requested that any information – including witness statement and financial information – be kept completely confidential after the case.

According to People, Depp has asked that any breach of that confidentiality by a witness cost Heard $100,000 each time.

Heard’s legal team referred to the confidentiality requests as “blatant threats”, and claimed Depp was trying to “thwart” their divorce proceedings at every turn.

“These are nothing but blatant threats by [Depp] and are illustrative of his continued attempts to thwart real progress in this case,” the court documents reportedly read.

“In reality, it has been, and continues to be Depp who refuses to be forthright with his financial information and has stymied resolution of this case.”