The results of Ms. Herd’s evaluation supported two diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder, which were consistent with the field of intimate partner violence. However, a week after forensic psychologists hired by Johnny Depp’s legal team claimed that Amber Heard had no signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, another psychologist testified in court and claimed that the actress indeed suffered from PTSD.
Dr. Don Hughes, a clinical and forensic psychologist, took the stand as the first witness called by Amber’s legal team after depp’s side rested their case in the defamation trial against his ex-wife. Hughes testified that she diagnosed the actress with PTSD due to what she described as intimate partner violence experienced during her relationship with Deb.
Hughes’s webmd profile was hit with a barrage of negative reviews, with many accusing her of being biased against men in domestic abuse cases and having a rusty past that paints her as a fraud. She also conducted supplemental interviews, forensic testing, and consultant medical records while diagnosing Amber. The doctor testified that in her diagnosis of Amber, she determined the allegations of emotional and physical abuse the actress reported to be legitimate. She described what she called coercive abuse exhibited by Depp trying to control his ex-wife’s clothing or career choices as an example. The basis of the opinion was looking at all the dynamics in this relationship, looking at not just the hitting and the yelling but also looking at how much more pitting was done.
Shannon Curry, a clinical psychologist presented as an expert witness by Depp’s legal team, previously rejected the idea that Amber had PTSD and diagnosed the actress with Borderline and Histrionic Personality Disorder. Hughes disagreed with this diagnosis and shared her professional findings after assessing Amber’s case files and meeting with the actress four times in person and twice via Zoom. She also interviewed some of Amber’s treating physicians and the star’s late mom, Paige.
Hughes later said she disagreed with Dr. Curry on the personality disorder diagnosis. Depp has repeatedly claimed that he has never struck Amber or any woman and has testified that his goal is the truth as he seeks to clear his name in the trial. During Hugh’s testimony, Amber wore a painted expression and bowed her head for several seconds according to the psychologist. The cycle of violence and love between a victim and her partner is not uncommon, as hughes testified.
Social media users have been vocally supporting Amber Heard’s case against Johnny Depp, with hashtags like “justice for Amber” gaining nearly three billion views on TickTock last month. Some users have shared play-by-plays of each day in court, while others have suggested their own theories about Amber’s behavior during the trial. Some users have expressed frustration with Dr. Hughes’ testimony, stating that it is unprofessional to make assumptions about Amber’s behavior when she did not evaluate him as a man.
One user, Andy Senore, expressed frustration with Dr. Hughes’ testimony, tweeting that it will set back actual victims of abuse. Another user, Soreller, was bothered by Dr. Hughes’ biasedness, tweeting that he has insulted every man who has been subjected to abuse with his gender bias and lack of professionalism.
Another user, Ashanti, noticed something about Dr. Hughes’ behavior and tweeted that he was secretly reading her notes more like a script. Amber stated that she hopes when the case concludes, she can move on and so can Johnny, and experts believe that such skewed testimonies may lead Amber to lose the trial against Johnny Depp.
Despite numerous attempts from her legal team to dismiss the trial, Depp remains determined to see off the entire trial until the very end, especially with the evidence against Amber. The tapes that paint a better picture of Amber’s relationship are too much to handle for her defense. As the trial nears its final verdict, Amber is losing the trial without question.