Actress Amber Heard listens in the courtroom. Photo / AP
Actress Amber Heard listens in the courtroom. Photo / AP
The doctor hired by Depp's legal team to assess Amber Heard had dinner and drinks with the actor at his mansion before the trial, the court has heard.
Forensic psychologist Dr Shannon Curry, who said she believes Amber Heard has not one, but two potential personality disorders, admitted to being wined and dined at Depp's home with his entire legal team.
Curry claimed it was an "interview" in which Depp's team was deciding whether or not to hire her.
The psychologist testified about Heard's personality, describing the actress as unstable, self-righteous and manic
The none too complimentary character assessment came during the ongoing defamation trial that actor Johnny Depp has brought against his ex-wife.
On Tuesday, US time, the court in Fairfax, Virginia – close to Washington DC – also listened to testimony from the manager of Depp's Bahamas private island who said she witnessed Heard "clawing" at Depp in a vicious fight.
Curry took to the stand on Tuesday to give a psychological evaluation of Heard. The forensic and clinical psychologist was hired by Depp's solicitors and evaluated the actor during two meetings in December last year.
She told the court that Heard had "borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder" and that the actor was "full of rage".
Actor Johnny Depp displays the middle finger of his hand, injured while he and his ex-wife Amber Heard were in Australia in 2015. Photo / AP
A borderline personality disorder is when someone might feel consistently unstable or intense and can feel paranoid or overwhelmed when under stress. A histrionic personality disorder occurs when someone relies too heavily on being noticed, seeking approval from others or being the centre of attention. It can lead to someone going out of their way to seek approval or being dramatic and overemotional.
At times, Heard appeared to scoff at the doctor's conclusions.
Curry added that Heard had "an overly dramatic presentation" that "really lacks any substance". She also said that Heard was "self-righteous".
Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft questioned if Curry had been for "dinner and drinks" at Depp's home prior to her being hired and if that was "a little odd".
Curry said she was interviewed by Depp's legal team, not the actor. Although she conceded he was present and dinner and drinks were served.
"It was an interview so that they could make an informed decision as to whether or not to retain me," she added.
Earlier in the day, Tara Roberts, who managed Depp's Bahamas island, gave her thoughts of the couple's relationship. She said she witnessed a fight between the pair where Depp tried to walk away from the situation.
"She started to grab at him, at his shirt," Roberts said.
"She was viciously trying to pull him back in the house. I was between them and was getting worried about what was going to happen.
Actor Amber Heard speaks to her attorney during a hearing in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia. Photo / AP
Roberts claimed Heard was "clawing, grabbing at his clothes, grabbing at his hair". She said she later saw Depp with a mark across his nose.
The testimonies on Tuesday came after audio recordings of Depp and Heard's explosive fights were played in court on Monday as the third week of the doomed couple's defamation trial kicked off.
In the new clips, presented by Heard's legal team during cross-examination of Depp, the Pirates of the Caribbean star and his ex-wife are heard in a string of heated arguments.
"Shut up fat arse," Depp yells at his-ex-wife in one of the never-before heard recordings. The comment came after Heard yelled at him to "put his cigarettes out on someone else."
Depp denied putting his cigarette out on Heard, telling the jury she was "grossly exaggerating."
In other snippets, played by Heard's lawyer Ben Rottenborn, Depp was heard calling the Aquaman actress a "c**t.
"In another clip, Depp tells Heard: "Walking away is necessary, is necessary, especially between you and I. It's of utmost importance. The next move, if I don't walk away … it's going to be a bloodbath, like it was on the island."
Heard says that given a choice between a bloodbath and walking away "obviously" she will choose to walk away. Depp is then heard saying: "Then why has it (a bloodbath) been chosen so many times?"
The packed courtroom was silent as the intense and often graphic clips played.
Depp winced and Heard appeared to fight back tears while listening to the audio. Depp, 58, is suing Heard, 35, for $70 million, claiming she defamed him in a 2018 Washington Post opinion piece in which she described herself as a victim of domestic abuse.
Depp was not named in the essay, but he says it clearly referenced him — and ruined his career, damaged his reputation and lost him tens of millions of dollars.
