What is a Quaalude? Johnny Depp's ex Ellen Barkin claims there was a 'world of violence' surrounding actor in unsealed court documents

On July 31, Fairfax County Courthouse unsealed over 6,000 pages of pretrial documents and legal filings from both Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal attorneys. Amid numerous shocking alleged information and claims from pre-recorded testimonies, Depp's ex-girlfriend Ellen Barkin's allegations from the newly publicized information have made headlines again.

In the actress' deposition from the Depp vs. Heard defamation trial, she claimed that Johnny Depp had a "world of violence around him." Barkin further alleged that the Pirates of the Caribbean star had given her a Quaalude before the first time they had s*x.

Ellen Barkin's pre-recorded deposition was taken on November 22, 2019. The actress' testimony during the trial revealed that Johnny Depp once threw a wine bottle at her at some point in their relationship. However, some reports had suggested that the bottle was thrown in her general direction. Further, Barkin stated in her testimony that Depp never physically harmed her.

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What is a Quaalude? All about the drug that Ellen Barkin alleged Johnny Depp of giving her

Quaalude, aka methaqualone or just ludes, is a synthetic sedative and part of the nervous system depressant category of medication. The drug was first invented by two Indian doctors, Indra Kacker and Hussain Zaheer, in 1950s.

At the time, it was prescribed as a sedative to those unable to sleep properly. However, it also provided a sense of high, which made it a popular recreational drug in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1984, it was categorized as a Schedule I drug in the USA and a Class B1 in the UK. This made its production and distribution illegal. The drug gained recent popularity in pop-culture when it was heavily featured in Martin Scorsese's 2013 hit, The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Ellen Barkin's allegations

Ellen Barkin and Johnny Depp met during the production of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in 1997. Depp defined their past relationship to be casual. Meanwhile, Barkin described it as something that went from "purely platonic friendship to romantic." However, later, she asked to change 'romantic' to 'se*xual.'

In the pre-recorded deposition, recently unsealed to the public, Barkin asserted that the first time the then-couple had intercourse, Depp gave her a 'Quaalude' and asked her if she "wanted to f***."

The deposition transcript showcased that Ellen Barkin further spoke about Johnny Depp's abuse of narcotic substances during their relationship. She alleged:

"I couldn't even tell you. He was always drinking or smoking a joint."

The Ocean's 13 actress further added that the actor was drunk most of the time and had indulged in illegal narcotics like cocaine and hallucinogenic drugs. During his testimony in late April, Johnny Depp had previously admitted to drug abuse. At the time, he "experimented" with drugs as early as age 11 due to a difficult childhood. However, after he gave his drug abuse accounts, the actor stated that he had been sober for many years. Depp further asserted that he was "not some maniac who needs to be high or loaded all the time."

Ellen Barkin (68) also claimed that Depp was incredibly jealous during the tenure of their relationship. She said:

"He's just a jealous man, controlling, where are you going, who are you going with. What did you do last night. I had a scratch on my back once that got him very, very angry because he insisted it came from having s*x with a person who wasn't him."

Following the unsealing of the document by the court, there have been some pro-Amber Heard reactions online. It remains to be seen whether the now-released documents will play a role in the appeals of the verdict filed by both Depp and Heard.