In a trial of dueling defamation lawsuits among Hollywood stars and ex-spouses, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Depp’s private physician, Dr. David Kipper, says he never heard either actor report abuse from the other or witnessed either engage in such behavior.
This all comes amid the ongoing trial in Fairfax, Virginia, in which Depp is suing Heard for defamation for $50 million. The suit centers around an op-ed Heard wrote for the Washington Post, in which she described herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” Though Depp is not mentioned in the piece, Depp’s lawyers say Heard references a social media post where she accuses Depp of domestic abuse, making the implication present in the article. Depp denies allegations of domestic abuse and said the article damaged his career. Heard is counter-suing Depp, also for defamation, for $100 million. Depp’s lawyers claim Heard domestically abused him, not the other way around.
The pre-recorded deposition by Kipper, which was conducted on Feb. 22, 2021, was played in front of jurors Monday.
Angenette Levy, a corresponded for Law & Crime, said Kipper testified he never heard Depp complain about Aquaman star Heard being physically abusive to him, nor did he ever witness Depp physically abuse anyone in his six years of treating him.
Despite Kipper’s claim of saying he did not witness or hear about any abuse being exchanged between the Hollywood couple, the physician did offer some details about the aftermath of a physical injury the Pirates of the Caribbean star sustained to his finger.
Following an incident in which Depp’s finger was sliced off, Kipper helped clean the wound and took the actor to the hospital. The doctor then returned to Depp’s home to look for the missing digit, which was eventually found by the actor’s personal chef on his kitchen floor, The Wrap reports.
While questioning Kipper, Heard’s lawyer claimed Depp reported to the hospital that he cut the tip of his own finger off with a knife. Despite this, Depp now claims Heard cut off the finger by throwing a bottle at him. This dispute over who cut off Depp’s fingertip was touched upon — no pun intended — during the opening statements of the trial.
Kipper also said he saw broken glass in the kitchen where the fingertip was located but did not specifically see blood on the glass.
Kipper also said he saw Heard the same day as the finger incident but did not see any signs of abuse or bruising.
On a separate occasion, Kipper said doctors at his office saw Heard on Dec. 2015 when she reported having a headache. They checked for signs of a concussion, but there was not one detected. However, Kipper said he did not personally examine Heard that day.
Kipper also testified earlier that he had diagnosed Depp with bipolar disorder, ADHD, insomnia, substance abuse disorder, and depression.
Kipper said he treated Depp for addiction to alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, and cocaine. He further described Depp as struggling with detox and firing him several times for insisting he take medications. According to Kipper’s nurse, Depp also had “scraped and bloody knuckles” after punching a wall during a fight with his ex-wife. The nurse also said Depp kicked in a trailer door on a movie set out of frustration.
Heard’s lawyers have zeroed in on Depp’s alleged drug and alcohol abuse, claiming the actor is not credible in his denials of domestic abuse since he often blacks out with no memory of what he did.
Earlier in the trial, Depp’s attorneys won an objection, allowing them to state that none of the actor’s past intimate partners, prior to Heard, have ever accused him of domestic abuse.
The couple’s former marriage counselor said she believed the pair engaged in “mutual abuse.” The therapist also said she saw bruising on Heard’s face at one point.
Depp’s attorneys have also pointed to Heard’s prior 2009 arrest for alleged domestic violence involving an incident with her then-girlfriend as an example of Heard’s supposed pattern of behavior. In 2016, the former girlfriend, Tasya Van Ree, said Heard was “wrongfully” accused.
The trial is expected to last six weeks, with both Depp and Heard slated to give testimony. Other famous names are also on the witness list for testimony, either in person or via video link, such as tech mogul Elon Musk and actors James Franco and Paul Bettany.