Psychologist Hired by Depp Gives Her Take on Heard

Says actor has Borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 26, 2022 5:16 PM CDT
Psychologist Hired by Depp Gives Her Take on Heard
Actress Amber Heard talks to her attorney as she arrives in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Va., Tuesday, April 26, 2022.   (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)

A forensic psychologist hired by Johnny Depp's legal team testified Tuesday that actor Amber Heard suffers from borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder, as the civil lawsuit between her and ex-husband continues to wallow in the couple's personal issues. The psychologist, Shannon Curry, said she reached her diagnosis during 12 hours of interviews with Heard and after reviewing her mental-health records. The two personality disorders are similar, Curry said. Borderline personality is a disease of instability, she said "driven by an underlying fear of abandonment." She said people with the disorder "will make desperate attempts to prevent that from happening."

Evidence introduced earlier at the trial includes audio clips of Heard begging Depp not to leave after he indicated a desire to break up or separate, reports the AP. Curry also said that borderline personality disorder "seems to be a predictive factor for women who implement violence against their partner." Depp has said he is the one who was a victim of domestic violence, and that Heard hit him on multiple occasions. Histrionic personality disorder, Curry said, is associated with "drama and shallowness," and a need to be the center of attention. She said there's a correlation in the disorder with people who are physically attractive and "utilize their looks to get that attention."

Curry also testified that Heard does not suffer post-traumatic stress disorder from her relationship with Depp, as Heard has claimed. Depp's team hopes Curry's testimony bolsters their contention that Heard was the aggressor in the couple's troubled relationship; he is suing Heard for libel after she wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post referring to herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse." On cross-examination, Heard's lawyers questioned Curry for potential bias, noting that she had dinner and drinks with Depp and his lawyers at Depp's house before she was hired. Curry said it was just part of the interview process.

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Earlier Tuesday, jurors heard testimony from Tara Roberts, who managed Depp's private island in the Bahamas. She testified that she never saw Heard with any kind of bruises. Her testimony also provided another window into some of the extravagances of Depp's lifestyle. She said she was paid $120,000 to manage the island, which had a four-person staff though Depp was only there a few times a year. Roberts also testified about an incident that occurred when Depp and his family had a final excursion on a yacht before it was to be sold to author JK Rowling. On cross-examination, Roberts acknowledged that Depp passed out face-first in the sand, and that she arranged for a helicopter to take some passengers away after the yacht trip turned unpleasant. (More Amber Heard stories.)

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