Why does Amber Heard call Johnny Depp ‘Steve’ in love notes read in the trial?
The very public trial of the two actors is expected to conclude this week, but many are wondering about nicknames mentioned in the couple’s correspondence.
The court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard resumed this week with jurors shown love notes written by Heard to Depp in 2015. The notes describe Depp as a friend who Heard had fallen in love with.
Heard wrote: “True love isn’t just about the madness of passion or instead picking the safety of peace. No it’s about having both. Falling madly in love with your friend.”
She continued: “You are the last thing in the whole world who deserves it, [the] last person I ever meant to hurt. I love you, Steve. I am so forever yours. XX Slim.”
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These remarks raised eyebrows in the courtroom, particularly concerning the names ‘Steve’ and ‘Slim’. Both sides agreed that they were nicknames used for Depp and Heard, respectively, but the origin of the names was not immediately clear.
How did Johnny Depp get the nickname ‘Steve’?
His full name is John Christopher Depp II, so the moniker ‘Steve’ is obviously nothing to do with his given name. Fittingly for a couple who met while working on a film set, the nicknames comes from the 1944 movie To Have and Have Not.
The film features Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart in lead roles, and their characters are named Slim and Steve, respectively.
Just like Heard and Depp, the fictional characters have a major age disparity (Depp is 22 years her senior). However when explaining the nickname during his testimony last month, Depp outlined the origins of the two nicknames in his mind.
“I was the old craggy Bogie, and she was this beautiful creature, this stunning creature,” he told the court.
What else did Heard write in love notes to Depp?
In recent days the love notes have become a key part of the trial, purportedly giving an insight into the relationship between the two actors while there were together in 2015. Heard has alleged that Depp’s violence was part of a repeated pattern.
The correspondence certainly outlines the intensity of the relationship, with Heard writing at one point that she wished to devour Depp.
One note reads: “That I have seen in you the true bones of friendship and respect. But of course, I still (perhaps more than before) want to rip you apart, devour you and savour the taste. Fret not, xx Slim.”