Amber Heard’s Defense Starts With Aim To Put Sexual Assault Claim Centerstage In Johnny Depp $50M Defamation Trial
03.05.2022 - 22:49
/ deadline.com
Amber Heard’s defense in Johnny Depp’s $50 million defamation trial against his ex-wife kicked off today with bracing testimony on the danger signs of domestic abuse.
Collected in her tone and words in the Virginia courtroom after the lunch break on Tuesday, Dr. Dawn Hughes only mentioned the Pirates of the Caribbean actor and Aquaman actress once in passing in the first part of her time on the stand , but it was clear to all the building blocks the psychologist specializing in violence, abuse, and traumatic stress was putting in place in chronicling “the cycle of violence” and rising levels of abuse, including “sexual assault.”
In opening arguments in mid-April, Heard’s lawyers dramatically told Judge Penny Azcarte, the jury and other onlookers that out of the anger, drug and booze fueled behavior by the past Oscar nominee there was at least one sexual assault upon the actress by Depp during their 2013 to 2016 relationship.
With near expressionless Heard and a downcast Depp both looking on, Hughes methodically under questioning from lead defense lawyer Elaine Bredehoft laid out the criteria and patterns of domestic violence, psychical, verbal, emotional and sexual. Correspondingly, noting power dynamics and “gender symmetry,” the clinical and forensic psychologist detailed the “love bombing” response where gifts and other effusive behavior from a man follows abusive outbursts. Trying to take the sting out of audio tapes and Depp witness testimony the past two week on Heard’s own behavior Hughes made a point of noting that “woman may yell at her partner because she is angry” from being abused.
Highlighting “the appearance of normalcy,” Hughes aimed to puncture the expected common reactions to the “trauma” of abuse. The
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