Shortly after Amber Heard’s legal team attempted to get the entire case dismissed, their first witness took the stand and made shocking claims about Johnny Depp. Clinical and forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes offered a lengthy testimony, saying that Heard was sexually abused by the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor, per CNN. She also diagnosed Heard with PTSD, even after the psychologist whom Depp’s team hired claimed that she didn’t show signs of PTSD, only borderline and histrionic personality disorders, per Bloomberg.
After meeting with Heard for 29 hours, Hughes divulged that she was a victim of sexual abuse. She then recounted multiple instances of sexual violence Heard shared with her, including a time when “Mr. Depp performed a ‘cavity search’ and felt it acceptable to stick his fingers up her vagina to look for cocaine.” She also discussed in detail the supposed fight that happened in May 2014, where the former couple allegedly fought about James Franco. Depp was apparently in a fit of rage brought about by jealousy, and “kicked [Amber] in the back” when she got up to leave,” per People.
It should be noted that Heard herself reported these accounts to Hughes, who has never met Depp. When the actor finally took the stand, she said how difficult it is to have to recall past traumatic events. “This is horrible for me to sit here for weeks and relive everything,” she said, per Variety. “This is the most painful and difficult thing I have ever gone through.”
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
