A self-described “dear friend” of Amber Heard’s sister, Whitney Henriquez, is testifying that Henriquez allegedly told her that Heard was violent to Johnny Depp amid a trial of dueling defamation lawsuits.
Jennifer Howell, who described herself as Henriquez’s “chosen sister,” gave testimony reaffirming a previous statement she gave that seemed to contradict Henriquez’s previous testimony. Howell runs the non-profit The Art of Elysium, which Henriquez worked for as Howell’s employee. They also lived together for a period of time.
In a pre-recorded deposition, Howell confirmed she maintains everything she claimed to be true in a previous declaration, including that Henriquez told her she saw Heard hitting Depp.
When asked why she was motivated to testify, Howell said, “I loved someone who I knew was doing something very wrong.”
“And I knew that they’re doing it because they’re trying to protect their sister. And I’m trying to protect her. And I’m just trying to get her to wake up and doing the right thing, which is tell the truth.”
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 at the top of a staircase, so Heard stepped in to defend her sister.
In a previously submitted declaration to the court, Howell claimed Henriquez told her she saw Heard hit Depp during the staircase incident and tried to intervene. Henriquez allegedly said she was worried Heard would “kill” Depp, according to Howell’s account.
Howell also said in the declaration that she heard Henriquez say, “oh my God, she has done it now. She has cut off his fucking finger” while Depp and Heard were in Australia. Depp maintains his finger was severed when Heard allegedly threw a bottle at his hand and it shattered, while Heard claims she believes Depp cut off his own finger, though she admitted she did not personally witness the act.
Howell also said in her declaration that Heard’s mother, Paige Heard, told her Elon Musk was in a court battle over embryos in court with Heard and that he gifted her a bugged Tesla at one point.
The court battle, unfolding in a courtroom in Fairfax, Virginia, centers on an op-ed Heard 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 are false and are referenced in the piece.
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.
While Heard maintains she was abused by Depp, Depp claims just the opposite: he was abused by her and not the other way around.