Amber Heard’s Sister Recounts Attack She Saw Johnny Depp 4:03
(CNN) — American actress Amber Heard’s sister testified Wednesday that she saw actor Johnny Depp grab Heard’s hair and repeatedly slap her in the face when they were married.
Whitney Heard Henriquez, Heard’s younger sister, testified in court Wednesday as part of the ongoing defamation case between Heard and her ex-husband Depp.
Henriquez said that he has lived with Heard and Depp from time to time throughout their relationship and that he considers Depp a brother.
Whitney Henriquez, sister of actress Amber Heard, testifies on the witness stand during Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against his ex-wife. May 18, 2022.
Heard Henriquez testified about an incident in which he saw Depp throw a can of Red Bull at his nurse Debbie Lloyd, which Lloyd denied in his testimony.
“He comes up behind me and hits me in the back. I hear Amber yell, ‘Don’t hit my fucking sister.’ She hits him, she hits him,” Henriquez said. “By this point, Johnny had already grabbed Amber’s hair with one hand and repeatedly slapped her across the face with the other.”
Depp accused Heard of slandering him in a 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post. In the article, published about two years after their divorce, Heard described herself as a “public figure who advocates domestic violence.” Though Depp wasn’t named in the article, he claims it cost him lucrative acting roles.
Heard has filed a counterclaim for $100 million.
Heard accused Depp of physically and sexually abusing her during their relationship. Depp denied punching Heard during his testimony.
Depp’s legal team has accused Heard of being the perpetrator in the relationship.
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Henriquez, who was interrogated by Depp’s attorney Rebecca Lecaroz, said she sometimes acted as a marriage counselor and sometimes sided with Depp in disputes. Lecaroz asked Heard Henriquez why she supported her sister when she wanted to continue the relationship with Depp.
“You wanted Mrs. Heard to stay with Mr. Depp even after you saw him hit her, right?” Lecaroz asked.
“It simplifies something that is anything but simple. Again, Amber was very much in love, as was Johnny. She told me she wanted something. Whether I agreed or not, whether I agreed with what was going on or not was not my place,” Henriquez testified.
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The jury also heard testimony from several witnesses Wednesday, including a makeup artist and acting coach who worked with Heard who said they saw Heard with injuries during her relationship with Depp.
Multiple witnesses said they saw Heard after a May 2016 altercation with facial injuries that ultimately preceded Heard’s injunction against Depp and the couple’s divorce.
Her testimony contradicts that of two Los Angeles police officers who testified early in the trial that they saw no visible injuries on Heard’s face and no disorder in the former couple’s home.
The trial is scheduled to continue this Thursday.
— Publisher’s Note: A previous version of this article suggested that Herínquez was using cocaine with Depp on the day of the alleged incident.