Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Depp and Heard marriage ended in 'mutual abuse', says therapist

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's former couples therapist said the pair engaged in "mutual abuse" during the final months of their stormy marriage.
Video testimony by Dr Laurel Anderson was played for jurors on the third day of the $50m (£38m) defamation trial in Virginia.

Mr Depp has sued his ex-wife over a story she wrote in which she described herself as a victim of domestic violence. He denies any abuse.

Ms Heard filed a $100m counterclaim.

In testimony recorded in February and played for jurors on Thursday, Ms Anderson said she had seen the famous couple for several therapy sessions between October and December 2015. Ms Heard filed for divorce in May 2016 after just 15 months of marriage.

The psychotherapist described a volatile dynamic between Mr Depp and Ms Heard, with both threatening to walk out of sessions amid arguments.

In sessions without Mr Depp present, Ms Anderson said, Ms Heard reported physical assault at the hands of her then-husband. On one occasion Ms Heard came to her office with several small bruises on her face, she testified.

On more than one occasion Ms Heard initiated violent interactions in an effort to prevent Mr Depp from leaving, Ms Anderson said.

"It was a point of pride to her, if she felt disrespected, to initiate a fight," Ms Anderson told jurors. "If he was going to leave her to de-escalate from the fight, she would strike him to keep him there, she would rather be in a fight than have him leave."

Ms Anderson said that Mr Depp was often interrupted by Ms Heard during the therapy sessions.

"Ms Heard had a jackhammer style of talking," the clinical psychologist said. "She was very amped up. He had trouble talking at a similar pace. He was cut off a lot."

Ms Anderson testified to both Ms Heard and Mr Depp's family history of domestic violence. Ms Heard was beaten by her father, she said, and Mr Depp was beaten by his mother.

Mr Depp had been "well controlled" for decades before meeting Ms Heard, Ms Anderson said, and did not engage in violence with past partners. "With Ms Heard, he was triggered. They engaged in what I saw as mutual abuse."

At issue in the trial is Ms Heard's 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post, describing herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse". Mr Depp says the article - which does not mention him by name - is defamatory and derailed his career.

Jurors have so far been presented with duelling accounts of Depp and Heard's relationship.

Ms Heard's team has portrayed Mr Depp as a physically and sexually abusive partner prone to drug and alcohol binges.

Mr Depp's team has presented Ms Heard's claims of domestic violence as a "hoax" and a calculated strategy to ruin his reputation.

Also on Thursday, a former personal assistant to Ms Heard, Kate James, testified about what allegedly happened when she asked her then-boss for a salary increase.

Ms James said: "She [Ms Heard] leapt up out of her chair, put her face approximately four inches from my face. She was spitting in my face, telling me how dare you ask me for the salary you're asking for."

The trial, expected to last at least six weeks, is being broadcast live and will involve a number of high-profile witnesses, including James Franco, Paul Bettany and Elon Musk.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×