Amber Heard’s sister, Whitney Henriquez, and other witnesses are testifying in a trial of dueling defamation lawsuits that they saw injuries on her face while she was in a relationship with ex-husband Johnny Depp.
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for defamation for allegedly false domestic abuse accusations she made against him that he said hurt his career. Heard is counter-suing Depp, also for defamation, for $100 million.
The highly-publicized trial has been live-streamed on the Law & Crime Network YouTube channel and other outlets from a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, since mid-April.
Henriquez, who had previously been mentioned several times in the trial so far, testified that she saw Heard with bruises, cut lips, and marks and scratches on her back in 2013.
A friend of Heard’s, Raquel Pennington, also appeared emotional in a pre-recorded deposition as she described seeing injuries on Heard’s face, which she photographed, the night before Heard appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Another friend of Heard’s, Joshua Drew, described her as having “pretty significant facial injuries” at one point.
Drew also testified he also took photos of Heard’s injuries and did not believe the actor doctored photos of them.
Drew even alleged Depp spit in his face and screamed at him at one point during an argument at the penthouse.
Henriquez was previously mentioned by Heard in testimony. Heard claimed the only time she landed a punch on Depp was when he was allegedly about to take a swing at Henriquez, so Heard stepped in to defend her sister.
While Heard maintains she was abused by Depp, Depp claims just the opposite: he was abused by her and not the other way around.
Depp’s lawsuit against Heard centers around an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018, in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” Though Depp isn’t named in the article, Heard made prior allegations of abuse against Depp in 2016, which he claims is referenced in the piece.
Heard also has other witnesses lined up to testify, including actor Ellen Barkin, and Depp himself. This will be the second time Depp has taken the stand after he previously testified on behalf of himself, and was cross-examined by Heard’s team back in April.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.
