this is "nightline." >> tonight, amber heard. >> i could just hear him say that he was going to kill me. >> the actresses' emotional testimony in the trial that's lighting up the internet. >> how much time do i have till i figure out what i need to do, because god, did he just hit me? >> johnny depp's ex-wife telling her side of the story, alleging abuse, which depp denies. >> never did i myself reach the point of striking ms. heard in any way. >> and the moment in court today getting a lot of buzz online when the two appear to make eye contact. plus brunch with babs. >> did your mom ever tell you? if not, i'm here to tell you. >> the grandma turned tiktok star who's become a mom to

millions online. >> babs has millions of followers. what does that mean to you? >> it's like family, you don't want to let your kids down. >> now the star in her own right popping up on talk shows and building a brand, a surprise second act she never saw coming. >> my daughter has said, which touches my heart, she saw in me something maybe i didn't see in myself.

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♪ good evening. thank you for joining us. johnny depp's defamation case against his ex-wife has been closely watched by millions online. now amber heard taking the stand telling her side of the story. we want to warn you that this report contains graphic allegations of domestic violence that could be triggering. >> at one point he has me up against the wall and he's punching the wall. he had my, you know, nightgown, kind of ripped it off my chest. i remember at one point he was teasing me, taunting me, that he has my -- my breasts in his hands. >> reporter: emotional testimony from actress amber heard today, describing an alleged violent attack at the hands of her then husband, actor johnny depp, a

month into their marriage. >> he went from punching the wall to, like, realizing there was a phone there, and he picked up the phone and he's screaming. rrahh! at the top of miss lungs screaming, i [ bleep ] hate you, i [ bleep ] hate you, you ruined my [ bleep ] life. screaming at the top of miss lungs. picks up the phone and starts bashing the phone against the wall, against the wall where i was just being held. >> reporter: the trial is part of a defamation lawsuit brought by depp against her. he sued her in 2019 for $50 million after she published an op-ed in "the washington post" saying she was a, quote, public figure representing domestic abuse. although she never mentioned depp by name in the piece, depp says he suffered significant damage to his career as a result. >> i'm looking in his eyes. and i don't see him anymore. i don't see him anymore. it wasn't him.

i didn't think he knew what he was doing. i don't know how -- i don't want to do this. i don't want to do this. >> reporter: under oath today, heard telling the jury that depp penetrated her with a liquor bottle. >> what, if any, penetration was there in your vagina with the bottle? >> i can't -- >> i'm so sorry. >> i don't want to do this. >> i am so sorry. >> johnny had the bottle inside me. and was -- shoving it inside of me over and over again. >> for this case, she simply has to show that she's a victim of domestic violence. that could be one instance that could be 20 instances. so as long as she gets just one in a total of all the jurors in

that room believe her, she wins. it's an uphill battle for amber heard, but so far she's looking to be very credible in what she's saying. >> reporter: after four days of testimony from her ex-husband, who says he never abused or hit her, heard now getting the chance to tell her side of the story. >> the purpose of amber heard taking the stand is to counterbalance what johnny depp had said on the stand. so many people became enamored with him and believed every word that came out of his mouth. >> reporter: wednesday she took the stand for the first time. >> i struggle to find the words to describ how painful this is. this is horrible for me to sit here for weeks and relive everything. >> reporter: she described fall until love with a superstar, staying with him in part because she hoped he'd change. >> i was so in love with this person. because when it was good, it was so good.

i'd never felt love like that. i was 25, looking at this man twice my age, and i saw hope, and like promise. >> reporter: the actress recounted what she claims was the first time depp struck her. >> i will never forget it. it changed -- it changed my life. >> reporter: heard says she and depp were sitting next to each other in their home when she asked him about his infamous wino forever tattoo, once an ode to his ex, winona ryder. >> i thought he was joking. i laughed, i just thought he was joking. slapped me across the face. and i laughed. i laughed. because i -- i didn't know what else to do. >> reporter: the now 36-year-old alleges that depp then swore at her and slapped her two more times. >> i just sat there thinking, how much time do i have till i

figure out what i need to do, because god did he just hit me? >> reporter: she claims depp became a different person under the influence of drugs and or alcohol. >> johnny on speed is very different from johnny on opiates. johnny on opiates, very different from adderall and cocaine johnny. which is very different from quaaludes johnny. but i had to get good at paying attention to the different versions of him. >> reporter: heard saying today the pattern of depp's abuse played out numerous times over their five-year relationship. >> no amount of explaining, apologizing, accepting, not accepting, agreeing to not go, nothing worked until, of course, he takes it too far, hits me too hard, breaks too many things in the house, then leaves. which was the pattern. >> reporter: she says the cycle would end with depp apologizing to her. >> he'd never have to deal with the destruction or see me with a house that he had destroyed. never had to deal with my face.

>> reporter: this moment from today getting a lot of buzz online when the two appeared to almost make eye contact. for 15 days the legal drama has been captivating millions of viewers online. as fans outside the virginia courthouse line up hours before dawn. >> we've been waiting since really late last night. >> we arrived at about 5:00 and realized that there was a whole line of people. >> reporter: hoping for a coveted wristband that allows them inside the courtroom where it's all playing out. >> look at how many people are here. everyone has watched this case. >> reporter: depp's fans swarming his car, just hoping for a glimpse of the star. >> johnny! >> reporter: the spectacle outside a stark contrast to the serious allegations of abuse and violence at the heart of the days. depp and his attorneys painting

her as an aggressor who instigated arguments that sometimes became physical. a disturbing recording played in court. >> you didn't get punched, you got hit. i'm sorry i hit you like this, but i did not punch you, i did not [ bleep ] deck you, i [ bleep ] hitting you. you are such a baby. grow the [ bleep ] up, johnny. >> physical fights? >> i did start a physical fight. >> yeah, you did. >> reporter: like heard, depp sharing deeply personal testimony with the jury, including an allegation that his mother abused him as a child. >> the beatings were just physical pain. physical pain, you learn to deal with. but the psychological and emotional abuse, that's what -- that's what kind of tore us up, i think. >> reporter: his drug and alcohol use depp said, an attempt to cope with that pain. >> it's never been for the sort of party effect. it's been for trying to numb the

things inside that have -- that plague -- that can plague someone. who's experienced trauma. >> reporter: heard's description of his substance abuse, he said, are grossly embellished. >> i'm not some maniac who need s to be high or loaded all the time. >> reporter: the aquaman actress is counter suing depp for $100 million, claiming he's defaming her by calling her a liar. court has now been recessed for ten days. heard's cross examination is expected after that break. >> in the court of public opinion, it at least appears that johnny depp is winning but it's not a guarantee that in the actual court in the legal case that he'll win. there may be incentive and some

time to resolve this case before a decision is rendered by the jury. >> if you or someone you know is in danger, just know there are hotlines out there ready to help. including the national domestic violence hotline, 800-799-7233. up next, the tiktok influencer who's also a grandmother. we're in the kitchen for "brunch with babs." looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? once-weekly ozempic® can help. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. in adults also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. ozempic® helped me get back in my type 2 diabetes zone.

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♪ her name is babs costello.

you probably know her as the brunch with babs lady. the 73-year-old is living a glorious second act with more than 1 million followers on tiktok, who absolutely adore her. abc's ashan singh found out why. >> where are we right now? >> oh, right now we're actually in my daughter's kitchen where she shoot. >> this is where the magic happens? >> right here, right at this counter. did your mom ever tell you -- >> reporter: babs costello is serving up cull tear content. >> if you love lasagna and you love soup, try lasagna soup. >> reporter: sage advice. >> when you appreciate someone, you need to tell them. "i appreciate you." >> reporter: at 73 years young, she's turned her treasured recipes into a booming brand. >> mm! >> reporter: "brunch with babs." >> it tastes just like it. >> reporter: this grandma's social media pages are filled with tips and tricks. how to clean your oven racks. >> place your grates in the tub.

they look brand-new. back in for eight minutes. >> reporter: the perfect dinner. >> add it to your weekly rotation. >> reporter: she's got a lot of followers, over 1.7 million on tiktok alone. when you say to yourself, babs costello's got millioners of followers, what's that mean to you? >> it means that i have to -- >> you've got a million kids. >> not disappoint them. it's like family. you don't want to let your kids down. >> reporter: babs is part of a growing trend of grand-fluencers online. from posting sunday sauce to grannies who can lift their own body weight. >> i'm going to show you a few more exercises. >> sometimes we have a tendency to put older people on a shelf. i think older people have so much to offer. just their wisdom. >> people call you a grand-fluencer. how do you react to that title? >> i guess i'm a grand-mother, right? you're older, right? a grand-influencer because i'm an older person who happens to

be on the social media, who i -- and i hope i'm influencing people in a very good, positive way. >> reporter: babs has been a nurturer her whole life. she ran a preschool for decades. >> these are a lot of the grandkids. >> reporter: a mom of four, a grandma of eight. >> here are my parents. >> reporter: up until recently, she's been happily retired, spending her days alongside her husband of 52 years. becoming a social media star was something babs never expected. but that all changed at the start of the pandemic when she started helping her daughter liz care for her kids. >> a few years ago i was not on any social media whatsoever. one afternoon when the boys were napping she said, mom, i think you should try tiktok. >> at first she's like, absolutely not. then i was like, just film one, i'm not even going to post it. >> elizabeth is a strong personality. all my kids have a strong -- i have a strong personality. >> i couldn't tell. >> so anyway, i'm like, okay. all right, fine. i only agreed to one, tell you the truth.

>> just grabbed this out of the fridge, let it marinade for an hour, you can leave it longer too. >> people had time, they were at home, they could venture into cooking they'd never tried before. not only that, people were separated from families. and here's this comforting older lady who is being normal. you know? it's like, hey, life is going to be okay. >> bon appetit. i'm here with my daughter elizabeth -- >> reporter: babs' daughter, also a content creator, saw her mom's potential and knew they had to keep posting. >> you're like your mom's fll-time manager, right? >> yeah, everyone says i'm like that -- like the mom-itor, i'm the daughter-tor. >> the roles have reverses? >> we always have a lot of time together. she's always going to be my mom and that is not lost during shoot days. but i definitely give her some direction when needed. >> reporter: now, two years later, they've posted only 700 videos. how do you come up with the content that you're going to put out there?

>> i do have a recipe box of 50 years. so a lot of those recipes are in that old box. this is before computers when we typed out our recipes. i'm a senior. so, you know, i have years of experience as well. this came to me from a friend that i taught middle school with. i think i come to the table with tradition, family, history. we look at things, i think, through the eyes of an older person. >> babs what are we making today? >> reporter: back in the kitchen -- >> you're going to have to chop this pepper. get the seeds out. just clean out. >> reporter: it's my turn to brunch with babs. >> i gave you the better knife. >> reporter: today she's teaching me curried rice. a cool dish that can either be a side or a snack. do you have other tricks for cleaning out a pepper? >> you're doing great. anybody that does anything for me in the kitchen is fabulous. we're going to cut these in small pieces. this is going to give the sat

crunch, color. could you add the raisins? this is your salad. pour that right over. let this sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. now for the taste test, the best part of at all. cheers. >> cheers. this is amazing. this is really delicious. >> reporter: like any true influencer, babs' brand has expanded. >> to die for. >> reporter: she has a newly released cookbook. >> hi, it's babs! >> reporter: is popping up on talk shows. >> i would come over for brunch, lunch, or dinner any time. >> reporter: landed a partnership with talbot. >> talbot's is on tiktok. >> do you get recognized at the grocery store? >> i do. i was on the streets of new york with my daughter, somebody comes around the corner with a stroller, "babs, is that you?" "yeah, it's babs!" >> reporter: it's that connection with fans that keeps her going. >> i've had followers say, will you adopt me?

i always say, do you do dishes? >> reporter: tonight babs is getting the chance to meet some of her followers face-to-face at a book signing in brooklyn. >> this is fabulous. this is huge. should we go in? >> yeah. >> thank you so much. >> yeah. >> celebrate with babs. >> i found babes on instagram about six months ago. and i've just fallen in love with her. >> it feels like you're right in her kitchen about to sit down at her table. it makes you feel you're really welcome no matter where you are. >> if she can do it at 73, watch out, world, here i come. >> on social media you get these messages from people without faces. and so to really meet the real people out there kind of blows me away. >> oh, nice to meet you too. >> babs, from lifelong educate tore grand-fluencer, are you in your second act? >> a surprise second act, like

an encore, right? yes, my daughter has said this which touches my heart. she saw in me something that maybe i didn't see in myself. so she encouraged me to take a chance on this act two. and it's been very much an unexpected journey. >> our thanks to ashan. up next, an historic first. the passing of the baton at the white house press podium. if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your tracks... choose stelara® from the start... and move toward relief after the first dose... with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions

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♪ finally tonight, white house press secretaries don't normally get emotional. but today was different.

>> congratulations, and i can't wait to see you bring your own style and brilliance to this job. >> thank you, love you. >> jen psaki handed over the podium to karine jean-pierre, the first black woman, the first openly lgbtq+ person to represent the white house before the press. jean-pierre saying, this is an historic moment and it's not lost on me. and that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for the company, america. good night.