Kate Moss: when did model date Johnny Depp, did he push her down stairs, what did she say in Amber Heard trial

Following Amber Heard’s testimony in court in which she named Kate Moss, the British supermodel finished giving evidence in the Johnny Depp defmation trial after barely two minutes on Wednesday (25 May).

While testifying in court, Heard made reference to a past claim in which she alleged that ex-husband Depp was violent towards Moss when the two dated in the 90s.

Describing a fight between herself and Depp, the Aquaman star told the court that she “thought of Kate Moss and stairs”.

The defamation trial, raised by Depp against ex-wife Heard at Fairfax County District Court, has resumed after it embarked on a one week break.

Who is Kate Moss?

Kate Moss is a British supermodel who rose to fame in the 1990s. Born on 16 January 1974 to mother Linda Rosina Moss (née Shepherd) and father Peter Edward Moss.

Moss began her modelling career at the age of 14 in 1988 and from there went on to become one of the biggest models in the world.

She is best known for her part in the 90s “heroin chic” fashion trend which was characterised by pale skin, dark under eyes, extremely thin figure and androgynous features. American supermodel Gia Carangi is credited with being the originator of the look.

Despite being a poster girl for “heroin chic” in the early days of her career, Moss has said that she has “never taken heroin”.

Moss told Vanity Fair in 2012: “I had never even taken heroin - it was nothing to do with me at all. I think [British photographer Corinne Day] - she wasn’t on heroin but always loved that Lou Reed song, that whole glamorising the squat, white-and-black and sparse and thin, and girls with dark eyes.

“She loved that look. I was thin, but that’s because I was doing shows, working really hard.”

Throughout her career, Moss has worked with the likes of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Vogue and Vanity Fair. She has appeared on the cover of British Vogue 30 times.

What did Amber Heard say about her in court?

Heard name dropped Moss whilst on the stand during her ongoing defamation trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp.

During her testimony, Heard referred to one of her previous claims against Depp in which she accused him of shoving Moss when he was dating the supermodel in the 1990s.

During Depp’s 2020 libel trial against the Sun, Heard claimed that Depp had pushed Moss down a flight of stairs.

She said at the time: “I remembered information I had heard [that] he pushed a former girlfriend - I believe it was Kate Moss - down the stairs.

“I had heard this rumour from two people and it was fresh in my mind.”

Heard brought up Moss again in the 2022 trial when talking about how she hit Depp in the face for the first time in a 2015 fight at the top of a staircase in LA in the presence of her sister.

She said: “Whitney, my sister, all of a sudden put herself in between Johnny and I.

“She threw herself like in the line of fire. All of sudden she was there and she was trying to get Johnny to stop. Her back was to the staircase, and Johnny swings at her.”

Heard added: “I don’t hesitate. I don’t wait. I instantly think of Kate Moss and the stairs and I swung at him.”

Moss has not responded to Heard’s claims - not when it was first brought up in 2020, nor when Heard referred to it on Thursday (5 May).

What happened between Kate Moss and Johnny Depp?

Moss dated Depp between 1994 and 1997, and has never publicly accused Depp of any violence during their relationship.

The pair got together after meeting in 1994, when Moss was 20 and Depp was 31.

Prior to the two going their separate ways in 1997, Depp was arrested in New York City in 1994 after allegedly trashing his hotel room at The Mark Hotel, where he was staying with Moss.

Moss was uninjured, and the charges against Depp were dropped after he agreed to pay $9,767 for the damage.

Describing the scene to news outlets at the time, police officer Eileen Perez said: “There was glass all over the place and furniture upside down and broken table legs.”

Talking to Hello Magazine in 1998 after their split, Depp said: “I have never got that emotional over a woman before. I have been so stupid because we had so much going for our relationship.

“I’m the one who has to take responsibility for what happened - I was difficult to get on with, I let my work get in the way and I didn’t give her the attention I should have done.”

Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2012, Moss said: “There’s nobody that’s ever really been able to take care of me. Johnny did for a bit.

“I believed what he said. Like if I said: “What do I do?”, he’d tell me. And that’s what I missed when I left.

“I really lost that gauge of somebody I could trust. It was a nightmare - years and years of crying. Oh, the tears!”

In her book Kate: The Kate Moss Book, released in 2012, Moss wrote that she was “lucky” to have been in a relationship with Depp.

She wrote: “He taught me a lot about fame. He told me “never complain, never explain”. That’s why I don’t use Twitter and things like that.

“I don’t want people to know what is true all the time and that’s what keeps the mystery.”

What did Kate Moss testify?

Moss gave evidence in the defamation case on Wednesday (25 May), appearing in court via videolink. She testified from Gloucestershire, England.

She finished giving evidence after barely two minutes.

Benjamin Chew asked the model whether Depp had ever pushed her down stairs whilst they were in a relationship.

Moss replied: “No, he never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs.”