Next up at Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard is someone who has ALL the info: their former marriage counselor!
On Thursday, Dr. Laurel Anderson‘s deposition that was recorded on February 21 was played for the courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, as the Black Mass star sues his ex-wife for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she wrote about surviving domestic abuse.
The Los Angeles–based therapist recalled marriage counseling she led with Depp and Heard back in 2015. In what could very well be the most damning testimony yet, Dr. Anderson said she observed “multiple” small bruises on Heard’s face at an in-person meeting, and described the pair as engaging in “mutual abuse” over the course of their tumultuous marriage.
Related: Amber Makes Shocking New Claim That Johnny ‘Violated’ Her With A Bottle
When asked if there was “violence from Mr. Depp toward Amber,” Anderson replied:
“Yes, you’re right. He had been well controlled, I think, for almost, I don’t know, 20, 30 years. Both were victims of abuse in their homes, but I thought he had been well controlled for decades. And then with Ms. Heard he was triggered, and they engaged in what I saw as mutual abuse.”
There you have it: “mutual abuse.” As in, they were both abusive toward each other.
However, the therapist went on to note that Heard tended to be the one who would initiate the fights in order to “keep [Johnny] with her” because “abandonment was her worst nightmare.”
Describing the actress’ style of talking as “jackhammer” and “rapid fire” and that Depp was overwhelmed and had trouble keeping up during the sessions, she explained:
“It was a point of pride to [Heard] if she felt disrespected to initiate a fight.”
Dr. Anderson admitted she was less sure of when the Pirates of the Caribbean star might have initiated confrontations, adding that Heard once told her:
“If he was going to leave her to deescalate [a] fight, she would strike him to keep him there. She would rather be in a fight to keep him there.”
Wow…
It’ll be interesting to see where the chips fall from here. While Dr. Anderson seemed to suggest Amber was more of the instigator, the term “mutual abuse” alone could be the final nail in Johnny’s coffin, seeing as this whole case is to prove Heard was lying about Depp being abusive toward her. But perhaps it’s more about how the picture she painted was about one-sided abuse when, according to this testimony, it wasn’t. Guess we’ll just have to see.
How do U think the trial is unfolding so far, Perezcious paralegals?
[Image via Law & Crime Network]
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