Johnny Depp's ex Amber Heard begged assistant not to tell him her filming dates

Amber Heard ‘s former personal assistant says she was asked to keep the actress’ filming schedule secret from her then-husband Johnny Depp.

Giving evidence at Depp’s libel case against The Sun at London’s High Court today, via videolink from the Beverly Hills Bar Association in California, Kate James said she worked for Heard from March 2012 to February 2015, when her position was “terminated”.

Ms James told the court that while Heard was filming 2015 movie The Adderrall Diaries with James Franco, she asked that her schedule was hidden from Depp.

Ms James said she who would update Heard’s schedule every day remotely, as being a single mum to a four-year-old, a condition of her contract was that she would never travel.

She said that while Heard was filming in New York, she emailed Ms James to ask her not to tell “Johnny’s team” her filming schedule.

Heard said she did not want them to see anything that could cause Depp to “lose it”.

Sasha Wass, QC for The Sun, said: “Did you understand that Ms Heard was concerned that Mr Depp would become upset or angry if he was made aware of romantic scenes between her and the leading man?”

Ms James responded: “I feel like it was more like an insurance policy. She has described Mr Franco as being sexually aggressive or rapey in a previous film.”

Ms Wass said Ms James had used the same word as Depp to describe Franco – “rapey”.

She asked if Ms James had discussed how she would give her evidence with Depp.

“I have not spoken to Mr Depp in many years – at least five years,” she responded.

The court has previously heard that Depp denied slapping Heard on a private jet in a row over claims she was cheating with Franco.

Depp was asked about an argument he had with Heard during a flight in a private plane in 2014.

He was accused of raging at Heard over claims she slept with Franco.

Depp claimed he had been surprised that she appeared so “friendly” with Franco on their current movie project.

He said that was because she’d previously told him the actor had “kissed her and made sexual advances to her” when they were filming Pineapple Express together in 2008.

He said: “She said he was a creep. He was a rapist. She said he was quite aggressive in his advances to her.

“She said he was creepy or rapey. Rapey was the word.”

Ms Wass asked him: “The night before you were due to meet up with Heard, did you have a heated discussion with her about the scenes she was doing with James Franco?”

Depp replied: “I don’t recall but it’s highly likely.”

Ms Wass went on to tell the court Depp was “spoiling for a fight and “brought up the subject of her co-star James Franco”.

The actor insisted he didn’t remember that, adding: “I suspected she was having an affair with James Franco and it’s subsequently has been confirmed she was.”

He then clarified: “I’d been told she was.”

Ms Wass then alleged Depp slapped Heard “across the face”, kicked her and called her a “slut” and “whore”.

Depp responded: “I didn’t go into a rage and start screaming at her.”

Ms Wass went on: “You were talking about her getting f**ked by James Franco and how she liked getting f**ked on set and you were making vulgar suggestions about her.”

The actor then responded, “That’s quite a stretch of her imagination,” adding that he disagreed with that version of events.

Depp told the court he’d locked himself in the plane’s bathroom, where he slept for the rest of the flight.

Depp, 57, is suing News Group Newspapers (NGN) over headlines labelling him a “wife beater” over allegations he was physically abusive to his then-wife Heard.

Depp says the claims are “sick and completely untrue”.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star has said that he was never abusive to his ex-wife and has claimed that she was the abusive one in their relationship.

He’s accused her of putting out a cigarette in his face and throwing a vodka bottle that severed his finger, among other things.

Heard, 34, denies his counter claims.

The case continues.