After Amber Heard mentioned British model and Johnny Depp’s ex Kate Moss in her testimony earlier this week, Johnny and his legal team were seen celebrating. Many people have speculated as to why this reaction occurred, but now a source close to the legal team has revealed the truth.

Amber Heard repeated an allegation about Johnny concerning Kate during her court testimony on Monday. She claimed that during their relationship in the 1990s, Johnny had pushed Kate down the stairs. Amber claimed this in a British court case in 2020, as well.

Many people were perplexed by Johnny and his legal team’s joyous response. “Amber mentioned an ex of Johnny’s that clearly she felt was not supportive of him, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” a source close to Johnny Depp told the New York Post. According to the source, Johnny and his lawyer Benjamin Chew made the gesture as a ‘celebratory acknowledgement.’

Legal experts argue that Amber mentioning Kate here allows Johnny’s team to call on the supermodel to refute the testimony, thus casting doubt on Amber’s credibility. “[Kate Moss] is still allegedly friends with Johnny, and her testimony was previously barred because it was not as relevant. “By bringing up Kate Moss, [Amber] potentially opened the door for [Johnny’s team] to call [Kate] on as an impeachment witness,” California entertainment lawyer Mitra Ahouraian told the New York Post.

On Monday, Amber was reminiscing about a fight she had with Johnny in March 2015, which also involved her sister Whitney Heard, who was attempting to protect her. She said, “Johnny swings at (Whitney) with her back to the stairwell. I don’t think twice, I don’t think twice — I just think of Kate Moss and stairs. I swung at him as well. I hadn’t landed a blow in my entire relationship with Johnny. And I hit him square in the face for the first time. He didn’t even try to push my sister down the stairs.”

Johnny and his lead attorney Ben Chew smiled as soon as Amber said ‘Kate Moss and the stairs,’ as seen in a YouTube video. Ben turned to face his teammates and pumped his fist. He then turned to Johnny, who was seated next to him, and addressed him.

Amber first claimed that Johnny pushed Kate down the stairs during the trial of Johnny’s failed lawsuit against The Sun for calling him a ‘wife-beater.’ Amber had claimed at the time that she had heard from two sources that Johnny had pushed Kate down a stairwell while they were dating in the 1990s. At the trial, Johnny’s lawyers claimed that this story was a complete fabrication. Johnny and Kate were together from 1994 to 1997.

The ongoing trial in Virginia between Johnny and Amber is based on an article Amber wrote for the Washington Post in 2018. Amber had mentioned being a domestic abuse survivor, but not by the name of Johnny. The implication, according to Johnny, harmed his career. While filming The Rum Diary, Johnny and Amber met. They married in 2015 but divorced after less than two years. Amber has claimed that her ex-husband subjected her to physical and sexual abuse. Johnny has denied all of the allegations, claiming that it was Amber who abused him.