Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist who practices in Virginia, has been accused of driving a patient to suicide. This revelation has raised questions about the witnesses Amber Heard is bringing to testify against Johnny Depp.
Dr. Spiegel has been accused of having behaviors that are consistent with someone with substance use disorder and those who are the perpetrators of intimate partner violence. However, Dr. Spiegel revealed that he has never spoken to or examined Johnny Depp, and his processing speed is not slow.
A Google review for Dr. Spiegel reveals chilling details about how he pushed Lea Tañaferro’s suicidal stepfather to kill himself by doing the bare minimum, throwing medication at him, and never returning the family’s calls despite knowing about his patient’s suicidal condition. The reviewer in question claims that Dr. Spiegel does not care if his patients die or not and has accused him of killing her stepfather. If this is true, it would be very suspect for Amber Heard to bring him to testify against someone who has suffered from mental health issues.
The general reception surrounding Dr. Spiegel’s testimony has been extremely negative and comical at times, even in court. Depp’s lawyer, Wayne Dennis, sparred with Dr. Spiegel over the American Psychiatric Association’s Goldwater Rule, which states that psychiatrists have a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health but should not give a professional opinion about public figures whom they have not examined in person and from whom they have not obtained consent to discuss their mental health and public statements.
Internet users have swamped the psychiatrist page with nasty remarks following his testimony. One user tweeted it was an ethics violation by Dr. Spiegel to testify about John Depp’s psychological traits without evaluating him, while another user tweeted that a psychiatrist psychologist can give an evaluation by reading or looking at videos in her pictures. Another user made an interesting observation about Dr. Spiegel describing a narcissist need for admiration, changes of emotions on the fly, need for praise, lack of empathy, and keeping people around only as long as they are useful.
In conclusion, Dr. David Spiegel’s testimony has been criticized for being uninformed and unprofessional, and his testimony has been criticized for its potential bias and lack of empathy. It is unclear whether Dr. Spiegel is a legitimate psychiatrist, if he drove one of his patients to suicide, and if Amber Heard’s argument has shown signs of weakness with his testimony.