Psychologist testifies that Amber Heard has personality disorders
FAIRFAX, Va.
A psychologist hired by lawyers for “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Johnny Depp testified on April 26 at his defamation case against his former wife Amber Heard that she suffers from twin personality disorders.
Shannon Curry, a clinical and forensic psychologist, said she had examined Heard’s mental health records and personally evaluated her for 12 hours over two days in December 2021.
Curry said it was her opinion that the 36-year-old actress, who had a starring role in the movie “Aquaman,” has borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder.
“She obtained scores that were consistent with those diagnoses,” Curry said.
Lawyers for Heard sought to discredit Curry’s testimony during cross-examination, noting she had been hired by Depp’s attorneys to testify on his behalf.
“If you did not find something that would be in favor of Mr Depp and negative to Miss Heard than you wouldn’t be an expert in this case?” Elaine Bredehoft, an attorney for Heard, asked Curry.
“I present science regardless of what that science may be,” Curry responded.
Curry said some of the primary characteristics of borderline personality disorder include a “lot of inner anger and hostility,” a tendency to be “self-righteous” and “fluctuating moods.”
“They can react violently, they can react physically,” she said. “Oftentimes they will be abusive to their partners.”
“It’s almost play-acting,” she said.
Curry, who has experience with U.S. combat veterans, said it was her opinion that Heard did not suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as the result of alleged domestic abuse.
Heard had “grossly exaggerated” her symptoms of PTSD in a test she was given, she said.
Also testifying on April 26 was Tara Roberts, who for the past 15 years has managed a private island in the Bahamas owned by Depp.
Roberts was asked by Depp’s lawyers to recount details of an argument the couple had on the island one evening.
“Amber was telling him that he was a washed-up actor,” Roberts said. “He was going to die a lonely old man.”
She said Heard was yelling at Depp, grabbing at him and trying to pull him back into their house.
Roberts said she was “worried” about what might happen and took Depp to a cafe on the island and applied ice to an injury he had received to the bridge of his nose.