Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial: Dr. Shannon Curry states her evaluation of Amber Heard. Find out what she had to say.
by Ana Walia | Wed, 27 Apr 2022 18:30:33 GMT
Image Source: USA Today 

After Johnny Depp’s cross-examination was over, forensic and clinical psychologist Dr. Shannon Curry who was hired by Johnny Depp’s legal team, was called to the witness stand on Tuesday.

Dr. Shannon Curry testified that she was initially hired by the legal team of Johnny Depp early last year to help them review files in the defamation trial and examine or identify the behavior in their relationship that may be consistent with "intimate partner violence." Dr. Shannon also mentioned that her role was later shifted in October when she was asked to provide a psychological evaluation of Amber Heard.

Dr. Shannon Curry shared with the jury and the judge that according to her evaluation, Amber Heard supported two diagnoses: borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder. She further explained that Borderline Personality Disorder is also known as Emotional Dysregulation Disorder, which is a mental disorder that tends to impact a person’s ability to regulate their emotions and behavior and eventually starts to affect negatively his or her relationships with others.

As the clinical psychologist shared, histrionic personality disorder also falls under the category of "dramatic personality" and has characteristics associated with patterns of attention-seeking behavior and egocentrism. Dr. Shannon Curry also mentioned that Amber Heard did not have PTSD and had "grossly exaggerated" it when she claimed to have suffered from the relationship with the actor. A psychologist shared that the actress was in the 98th percentile for exaggerating her PTSD.

The clinical psychologist mentioned that Amber Heard’s BPD was marked by an "underlying terror of abandonment." When this is the case, individuals tend to make desperate attempts to stop it from happening.

Dr. Shannon stated that because Amber Heard was diagnosed with mental disorders, the actress could appear charming at first but quickly turn dark. She added that most people accept people as a whole, but for the ones who suffer from BPD, things are complicated as the person can go from being idealized to being a dumpster. She mentioned that people are devalued, are worse off, and then there will be a repair because the person with the disorder does feel remorse. Shannon pointed out that a person with BPD takes a very keen interest in looks and will use their looks to get the respect they want.

Surprisingly, Amber Heard did not look at the psychologist once as she was stating her diagnosis in the courtroom. Shannon said that Amber was a sophisticated and calculated case of BPD, somebody who would tend to hit you where it hurts a bit more and be very destructive before adding that people with BPD have identity issues as well, which means that they tend to change their interests and values constantly. Shannon pointed out that these people tend to take on the personalities of the people they want to be around, and they adopt their dressing sense and the way they talk. (Scary right?)

Explaining about an individual with HPD, Shannon shared that overly dramatic presentations and quick shifts between emotions, hypersensitivity to being slighted, the meltdown at any time. The psychologist added to her evaluation that an individual with HPD could make a lot of accusations, show reactivity, escalate, react aggressively, physically prevent partners from leaving, and could be abusive to their partners as well. Shannon mentioned that she had met Amber Heard for several hours (almost 12) on two separate dates in December 2021 before she completed her diagnosis. On asking if she was asked to provide the same evaluation for Johnny Depp, she said she was not.

The two instances provided in the court where Amber Heard had admitted to cutting her arm and her friend Rocky Pennington stated that they were out shopping once and, out of blue, Amber struck her face, which the psychologist said cutting her arm would be a typical thing that a person dealing with BPD would do, and for striking her friend's face could happen if Amber Heard had decided that Rocky Pennington was not able to meet her needs.

Dr. Curry summed up her meetings with Amber Heard by saying she was "extremely pleasant," but that her tests revealed she "very clearly reduced any psychiatric dysfunction but presented herself as free of difficulties and did it in a way that was not visible."

During her cross-examination by Amber Heard's attorney Elaine Bredehoft, Dr. Shannon Curry mentioned that she had a four-hour dinner with Johnny Depp’s legal team and that he was present there which was a part of her interview process. She said that she thought Johnny Depp was a great actor. The lawyers pointed out that it was odd for them to know that she had drinks and dinner with the legal team and the actor, to which she said that it was just a part of the interview process and the actor did not interview her, his team did.

Elaine also pointed out that was it a coincidence that Johnny Depp had once used a phrase that Amber Heard had BPD during an argument and Shannon had diagnosed exactly that but Shannon clarified that her results and diagnosis of Amber Heard was not based on the phrase that Johnny Depp once used but it was based on her evaluations. 

Earlier in the day, it was the manager of Johnny Depp’s residence on the island in the Bahamas, Tara Roberts, who testified and said that she heard Amber Heard tell Johnny Depp that he was a washed-up actor going to die a fat, lonely old man. Tara mentioned she witnessed that Johnny attempted to leave and Amber Heard was hugging and kissing him as she begged him to come back but he stood there with his hands onto his side and Tara added that she noticed that Johnny Depp had a mark across the bridge of his nose.

Tara also mentioned that she once found Johnny Depp passed out after he had fallen out of the hammock, and she arranged for his transportation for Johnny Depp’s children to leave the island but added that Johnny stayed. She also mentioned that she never saw any injuries or bruises on Amber Heard. On Tuesday, Los Angeles police officer Melissa Saenz testified about visiting the Los Angeles penthouse in May 2016, only days before Amber Heard filed for divorce and showed up in court with a huge mark on her face that she claimed resulted from a fight with Johnny Depp that night.

Officer Saenz testified in a taped deposition that she could see Amber Heard crying but couldn't see any signs of injury. Saenz's testimony, according to Depp's lawyers, proves that Amber Heard lied about her injury to harm Johnny Depp's reputation. The trial is already into it's third week and Amber Heard is yet to take the stand. 

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