Amber Heard's ex-girlfriend, photographer Tasya van Ree, is defending the actress when it comes to Heard's arrest in 2009 on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence.
"In 2009, Amber was wrongfully accused for an incident that was misinterpreted and over-sensationalized by two individuals in a power position," van Ree said in a statement on Wednesday. "I recount hints of misogynistic attitudes toward us which later appeared to be homophobic when they found out we were domestic partners and not just 'friends.'"
"Charges were quickly dropped and she was released moments later," she continues. "It's disheartening that Amber's integrity and story are being questioned yet again. Amber is a brilliant, honest and beautiful woman and I have the utmost respect for her. We shared five wonderful years together and remain close to this day."
ET confirmed on Tuesday that Heard was arrested and booked on Sept. 15, 2009 for Assault in the Fourth Degree - Domestic Violence, but the prosecuting attorney's office declined to file criminal charges at the time. According to TMZ, Heard, 30, and van Ree, 40, got in an argument at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which triggered the arrest. Heard allegedly grabbed and struck van Ree in the arm.
Heard was snapped on her way into a friend's house in Los Angeles on Wednesday, sporting high-waist bell bottom jeans and a black sweater. The actress covered up in a black hat and sunglasses.
GEVA / Max Lopes / AKM-GSI
She was also photographed on Tuesday on the same day news broke of her 2009 arrest, appearing somber in a hat and sunglasses. Heard was accompanied by a bodyguard.
Van Ree isn't Heard's only friend showing her support. On Wednesday, writer and TV host iO Tillett Wright -- who called 911 to report Depp's alleged abuse in May -- defended Heard in an op-ed for Refinery 29.
"I called 911 because she never would. Because every time it happened, her first thought was about protecting him," Wright alleged. "Because every time it happened, the sweet, loving man we all cared for so much would come back with apologies, profuse, swearing up and down that he understood how bad what he had done was, and swearing never to do it again."
"The bottom, unequivocal line is, nothing she ever could have said or done deserves what she describes as him dragging her up the stairs by the hair, punching her in the back of the head, choking her until she almost passed out, and smashing his forehead into her nose until it almost broke," Wright also wrote.
While Depp, 52, has yet to directly address the allegations against him, the actor also has close family and friends defending him. Last month, Depp's ex and the mother of his two children, Vanessa Paradis, penned a letter slamming Heard's allegations. "He is a sensitive, loving and loved person, and I believe with all my heart that these recent allegations being made are outrageous," Paradis wrote. "In all the years I have known Johnny, he has never been physically abusive with me and this looks nothing like the man I lived with for 14 wonderful years."
Depp's divorce attorney, Laura Wasser, claimed in court documents that Heard is "attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse."
Watch the video below for a timeline of Heard and Depp's troubled relationship, divorce, and domestic abuse allegations.
