Dismissing Johnny Depp¡¯s ¡®Mutual Abuse¡¯ Claim, Psychologist Says Amber Heard Has PTSD From Domestic Abuse

(Trigger Warning: The story contains graphic details of domestic abuse and sexual violence, which could be triggering for some readers.)

Amber Heard¡¯s legal team called their first witness in Johnny Depp¡¯s $50 million defamation trial against the actress. A psychologist who took the stand to testify in favor of Heard told jurors on Tuesday that the Aquaman actress had post-traumatic stress disorder due to physical and sexual abuse by her ex-husband Johnny Depp.

Reuters

Dawn Hughes testified that she diagnosed Heard after examining her for 29 hours and reviewing therapy records. She emphasized that Heard's former husband Depp engaged in a ¡°high degree of violence.¡±

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Hughes recollected several instances of alleged sexual violence, which stemmed from Depp¡¯s ¡°obsessive jealousy¡± and in an attempt to show his dominance and power in their relationship.

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¡°He threw her on the bed, ripped off her nightgown, and tried to have sex with her,¡± Hughes testified.

Hughes also corroborated Heard's story by recalling incidents in which Depp allegedly penetrated Heard with his fingers and, on one occasion, with a bottle.

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She said that Depp showed particular jealousy regarding James Franco, with whom he accused and believed Heard had a relationship.

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¡°These incidents often happened in a drug-fueled rage,¡± she said.

According to reports, Heard will be sharing her fuller account of the alleged abuse after she takes the witness stand on Wednesday.

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Hughes was called on the stands to rebut the testimony of Shannon Curry, a psychologist called by Depp¡¯s team last week. Curry told the jury that Heard had a borderline personality disorder.

Curry alleged that she examined Heard for 12 hours on Depp¡¯s behalf. She testified against Heard and claimed she was prone to give ¡°overly dramatic¡± statements and was often ¡°full of rage.¡±

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Hughes, who took the stand to defend Heard, said she disagreed with Curry¡¯s diagnosis.

Contrary to Curry's diagnosis, Hughes said in her examination, Heard¡¯s symptoms were consistent with a victim of intimate partner violence.

Hughes also noted that Heard had suffered from parental abuse as a child and carried the baggage of those dysfunctional dynamics and memories as baggage in her relationship with Depp.

Reuters

Hughes said, ¡°She also believed she could fix him, just like she tried to fix her father. She truly believed she could fix Mr. Depp and rid him of his substance abuse problems, but that did not work.¡±

Hughes testified that Depp exerted ¡°coercive control¡± over Heard and was focused on controlling her career.

¡°¡®Ambition¡¯ was a weaponized term in that relationship,¡± Hughes said. Depp¡¯s side presented testimony from a couples therapist, Laurel Anderson, who said they engaged in ¡°mutual abuse.¡±

Reacting to the same, Hughes argued that while both parties 'may' engage in verbal or physical abuse, it¡¯s also essential to look at the balance of power in the relationship.

Amber Heard

¡°What the research talks about very clearly is you have to examine the context,¡± Hughes said. ¡°You have to examine the differential of power and control ¡ª and coercive control ¡ª in the relationship to make a full determination.¡±

In a pre-trial motion, Heard¡¯s lawyers had sought to have an independent mental examination of Depp. However, Depp¡¯s attorneys opposed that motion, arguing that the actor's mental state is not at issue. The judge denied the motion.

On Tuesday, the judge presiding over Johnny Depp¡¯s $50 million defamation lawsuit rejected Amber Heard¡¯s plea to 'toss out' the case.

Agencies

Amber Heard's lawyers asked the judge to dismiss the case, saying Johnny Depp had not proven his claims. However, Judge Penney Azcarate denied the request regarding two statements in the Washington Post op-ed since there is a 'scintilla' of evidence that a jury may find that they were defamatory.

Agencies

The $50 million defamation trial began on Tuesday with Heard's team trying to counter the accusations laid by Depp¡¯s lawyers.

The court hears how Johnny Depp sexually assaulted Amber Heard. #IStandWithAmberHeard pic.twitter.com/774bI8GOPd

¡ª Ivana Escalera (@IvanaE) May 3, 2022

Depp's lawyer, in multiple attempts, has alleged that Heard was the abuser in their relationship and maintained that Depp would retreat only after 'she instigated fights.'

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