Topline
Amber Heard’s sister Whitney Henriquez and her former friend Raquel Pennington testified Wednesday in Johnny Depp’s $50 million lawsuit against her and corroborated Heard’s claims Depp abused her, saying they witnessed abuse and saw physical injuries on Heard during their relationship.
Whitney Henriquez, sister of Actor Amber Heard, testifies on the stand during Johnny Depp’s … [+]
Key Facts
In a pre-recorded deposition played in court, Pennington described seeing Heard in 2015 after a fight with Depp, saying the Aquaman star’s face was red and her hair was “ripped out of her head,” according to Vulture.
Pennington said Heard constantly had to cover her bruises and injuries from Depp’s attack with makeup, something Heard testified to on Monday.
Jurors were shown photos of Heard’s injuries and a clump of hair on the ground Pennington said she believed was Heard’s.
Henriquez also recounted the 2015 fight, saying Depp struck Henriquez in the back, which prompted Heard to retaliate by hitting Depp, and then Depp grabbed Heard by the hair and then hit her in the face.
Henriquez, who was living with Heard and Depp at the time, said Depp would become angry and abusive when he was high or drunk, a pattern Heard also alleged.
Tangent
Both Heard and Depp testified about this 2015 fight, known as “the staircase incident.” Heard and Henriquez told similar accounts, with Heard saying she hit Depp to prevent him from attacking her sister and pushing her down the steps. In his testimony, Depp said he received a “roundhouse punch” from Heard, who was trying to get to him, and said Henriquez stepped between the couple to stop Heard, not Depp. Depp’s bodyguard Travis McGivern, who was also present for the incident, previously testified Depp threw racks of Heard’s clothing down the steps, something Henriquez also said Wednesday.
Key Background
Depp sued Heard for defamation for calling herself a “public figure representing domestic violence” in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she did not name Depp. During the weeks-long trial, Depp said he did not abuse Heard and that she was the aggressor in their tumultuous relationship, not him. Heard said she only hit Depp in self-defense and that he physically and sexually abused her on several occasions. The actress ended her testimony on Tuesday by saying she believed Depp “tried to kill” her. This is not the first time Depp and Heard have told different stories about the same instance. Their accounts of another 2015 fight involving vodka bottles differed greatly. Depp said Heard threw the bottles at him during an argument, and a shattered one severed his finger, and Heard said Depp assaulted her with the bottles. The trial is expected to end on May 27.
Further Reading
Amber Heard Says Johnny Depp ‘Tried To Kill Me’ As Cross-Examination Ends (Forbes)
Kate Moss’ Connection To The Johnny Depp Amber Heard Defamation Trial, Explained (Forbes)
Amber Heard Accuses Johnny Depp Of Sexual, Physical Abuse On Stand In Defamation Trial (Forbes)
Amber Heard ‘Felt Nothing’ For Elon Musk, Psychologist Testifies During Defamation Trial (Forbes)
Musk Likely Paid Portion Of Amber Heard’s Pledged ACLU Donations, Exec Testifies (Forbes)
Johnny Depp Defamation Trial: Here Are The Key Moments From The Actor’s Testimony (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/05/18/amber-heards-sister-former-friend-say-they-saw-signs-of-johnny-depps-abuse/