Depp dismissed all allegations of abuse, accusing Heard of being the one who assaulted him on several occasions, and he said the statement further ruined his reputation and career. Heard, whose team has claimed Depp’s drug and alcohol use is what has hurt his career, sued Depp for $ 100 million after his lawyer called her allegations a hoax.
Here are some notable moments from Tuesday’s testimony:
Shannon Curry, clinical and forensic psychologist
Testimony: Curry said she was contacted by Depp’s legal team to provide a psychological evaluation of Heard in 2021. She met with Heard for about 12 hours; the actress took psychological tests, and Curry reviewed medical records, exhibits, and testimonies from the case. She said her evaluation of Heard suggested two diagnoses: borderline personality disorder and histrionic disorder. Curry described people with borderline personality disorder as having a fear of being abandoned and wanting to read into things they perceive to be an insult – they will exaggerate it in their minds and “explode and react.” She said histrionic personality disorder is “two sides of the same coin” and the underlying drive is that the person should be the center of attention. When they feel they are not, she said, they can come up with stories or take on a victim role. Curry said Heard said she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from alleged abuse by Depp, but Curry found in her evaluation that Heard did not have PTSD.
Cross-examination: Heard’s lawyer Elaine Bredehoft wondered if it was weird that Curry had dinner and drinks at Depp’s home with the actress’s legal team before she was hired. Curry disagreed, saying the lawyers were trying to make an informed decision before retaining her services. Bredehoft asked if Curry understood that if her evaluation had been positive for Heard but negative for Depp, she would not testify in this case. She asked if Curry had read testimonies from other doctors who believed Heard was a victim of domestic violence from Depp’s hands. Curry said she had reviewed these testimonies, but psychologists are not investigators, so she did not know if there was violence. Bredehoft concluded by asking whether personal intimate violence could result in post-traumatic stress disorder or other trauma-based disorders.
Tara Roberts, property manager on Depp’s private island in the Bahamas
Testimony: Roberts, who said she witnessed a quarrel between Depp and Heard in December 2015, added that she overheard Heard tell Depp that he was “a washed-out actor who was going to die like a fat, lonely old man.” (“You hit me with a can,” Depp replied according to Roberts. On Monday, Depp said in a recording that Heard threw a can of mineral turpentine on his nose.) Roberts said she “thought it was best I removed [Depp] from the situation, ”and led him to a cafe. She said she noticed Depp had a mark on the back of his nose, so she brought him ice cream. Roberts said that as she entered the house, she noticed that a can of mineral turpentine had leaked out onto the deck.
Cross-examination: Roberts confirmed that she is financially tied to Depp with her salary and that she did not spend the entire day with the couple; she did not want to know if Depp had taken drugs or been drinking, or if physical abuse was taking place behind closed doors. Roberts agreed that she was not present when Depp got the mark on his nose. Roberts was asked about an incident in July 2013 when Depp, Heard and his children, Lily-Rose and Jack, took one last ride on a yacht before Depp sold it to “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling. Roberts confirmed that Lily-Rose and Jack asked to go, and she arranged for a helicopter to take them away. Later, Jack called her again because Depp had fainted in the sand on the beach.
Melissa Saenz, police officer at the Los Angeles Police Department
Testimony: Saenz testified that she was called to a domestic dispute on May 21, 2016 – several days before Heard filed for divorce and a restraining order – at Depp and Heard’s penthouse in Los Angeles. When she arrived, Heard was crying and cooperative, refusing to answer when Saenz asked her questions and did not say she had been assaulted by anyone. Her friends at home would not answer questions. Saenz said she conducted a search of the home and it did not appear that there had been any violence in the home, stating that no crime had been committed; she gave Heard a business card and said she should get in touch if she wanted to talk further.
Cross-examination: Saenz was shown pictures of Heard from that night where there was redness around her cheekbones and eyelids and eyebrows, and said she thought it looked consistent with crying and not an injury. Bredehoft reminded Saenz that if she saw evidence of personal injury or property damage, she would have been required to write a report even if the victim did not cooperate. Saenz reiterated that she did not see evidence for any of these things, and therefore she took no notes and did not complete a report.
Testimony is scheduled to continue Wednesday.