Winona Ryder: Johnny Depp is a caring guy

Winona Ryder insists ex-fiancé Johnny Depp is a "good, loving and caring guy".

The actress dated the ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ actor for four years from 1990 and has come to his defense after he was accused by estranged wife Amber Heard of physically and verbal abuse.

She said: "I can only speak from my own experience, which was wildly different than what is being said. He was never, never that way towards me. Never abusive at all towards me. I only know him as a really good, loving, caring guy who is very, very protective of the people that he loves."

Although Winona, 44, admits her relationship with Johnny, 53, was "a long time ago" she said she can’t imagine him ever being violent.

She told Time magazine: "I wasn’t there. I don’t know what happened. I’m not calling anyone a liar. I’m just saying, it’s difficult and upsetting for me to wrap my head around it. Look, it was a long time ago, but we were together for four years, and it was a big relationship for me. Imagine if someone you dated when you were – I was 17 when I met him – was accused of that. It’s just shocking. I have never seen him be violent toward a person before.

"It’s just hard to picture. The only word I can come up with is unimaginable. You know with certain people you hear something and go, ‘I can see that.’ But this isn’t that. I can only offer my own experience. It’s such a serious, horrible thing to be accused of."

Earlier this month, Amber’s restraining order against Johnny had been extended.

The ‘Magic Mike XXL’ star filed for the court order against her estranged husband at the end of May after filing for divorce from Johnny a few days earlier.

The restraining order – which was originally granted when Amber claimed Johnny threw an iPhone at her face – will stay in place now until August 15.