Content warning: the article contains descriptions of alleged domestic abuse some readers may find disturbing.
Amber Heard is alleging photos being presented in court show an injury she sustained from ex Johnny Depp throwing a phone at her face, despite the fact that police officers previously testified they didn’t see any injuries on Heard on the day the injuy supposedly took place.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for defamation, for allegedly false domestic abuse accusations she made against him that he said hurt his career. Heard is counter-suing Depp, also for defamation, for $100 million.
The highly-publicized trial, which resumed Monday after a week-long break, has been live-streamed on the Law & Crime Network YouTube channel, and other outlets, from a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia since mid-April.
Photos presented to court showed Heard after what she described as Depp allegedly hitting her with a phone that he threw at her.
Heard alleged that during the fight leading up to the incident, Depp grabbed a phone out of Heard’s hand, screamed “really nasty stuff” at one of her friends, and then throws the phone at Heard’s face in “what felt like [her] eye.”
Heard said she then started crying and “didn’t even have time to react.”
In previous testimony, multiple police officers testified they did not see injuries on Heard nor were they able to determine that a crime had taken place during two separate 9-11 calls on May 21, 2016 — the same day Heard alleged Depp threw a phone at her face. The police officers also testified Heard was uncooperative with them.
When asked why Heard chose not to cooperate with police, she claimed she “wanted to protect Johnny.”
“I didn’t want him to be arrested. I didn’t want him to be in trouble. I didn’t want the world to know. I didn’t want this to come out,” she said.
Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, Depp could be seen with what appeared to be a grin on his face.
Heard testified that when a friend allegedly got involved in one of their fights, trying to stop Depp, he loudly screamed repeatedly, “Amber, get the f–k up!”
Heard also testified a photo of broken glass on a stairway was allegedly from a picture being knocked off a wall during a fight.
Broken glass covering a photo inside a frame was allegedly because Depp had punched it, Heard said, something she claimed she heard take place but did not see.
Heard also said she would routinely use a “color correction” makeup kit to cover up her bruises. She clarified that the one being demonstrated in the courtroom was not the “exact one” she used to carry.
The makeup kit being used as a prop in court had previously been called into question. The kit was held up by Heard’s lawyer during opening arguments, saying it was carried in Heard’s purse to cover up cuts and bruises during their marriage. But in a TikTok video, brand Milani Cosmetics denied the product shown in the courtroom could have been used in that context since it wasn’t sold until 2017, a year after Heard and Depp’s divorce, according to People.
Previous testimony by Heard indicated Depp had allegedly slapped and punched her on multiple occasions and twice sexually assaulted her.
While Heard maintains she was abused by Depp, Depp claims just the opposite: he was abused by her and not the other way around.
Depp’s lawsuit against Heard centers around an op-ed she wrote for the Washington Post in 2018, in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Though Depp isn’t named in the article, Heard made prior allegations of abuse against Depp in 2016, which he claims is referenced in the piece.
In addition to Heard wrapping up her direct testimony on the stand this week, she is expected to undergo cross-examination by Depp’s team soon thereafter. Heard also has several other witnesses lined up, including her sister Whitney Henriquez, actor Ellen Barkin, and Depp himself. This will be the second time Depp has taken the stand after he previously testified on behalf of himself and was cross-examined by Heard’s team.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.