I will need to go read the U.K. case in more detail. I’m guessing the texts/audio exchanges demonstrated that Depp had a drink and drugs problem. This is something that was widely known and Depp freely admitted.

Heard’s defence pushed heavily into this, but they didn’t seem to be able to make the evidential leap between being drunk/ drugged and being violent. The case in the U.K centred on her testimony being more reliable than his, because of the two of them she was the more sober and functional. The US case was between the two of them and so was wider reaching.