Amber Heard's sister testifies she saw Johnny Depp strike Amber

Amber Heard's sister, Whitney Heard Henriquez, testified that she witnessed her sister's ex-husband Johnny Depp strike her and that she acted as a "marriage counselor" for the couple. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI

On Wednesday, Amber Heard's sister testified that she was there during a violent argument between actor Johnny Deep and Heard, his ex-wife. The couple perceived her as their "marriage counselor."

After Heard ended her testimony on Tuesday, Heard's sister, Whitney Heard Henriquez, testified on Wednesday, stating that she directly observed Depp assault her sister.

Depp, who has stated that he never struck Heard, issued his ex-wife for defamation over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. She defined herself as "a public figure representing domestic abuse," arguing that the article cost roles and other possibilities despite not naming him.

One month after their wedding, Heard discovered evidence that Depp had an extramarital affair, causing the couple to dispute in March of 2015.

She claimed that Depp was intoxicated and accused Heard of pressuring him into the affair after he initially denied it.

"Amber made me do it ... of course I'm cheating," Depp reportedly told Henriquez.

As Depp ran up a stairway to confront Heard, Henriquez said she was sandwiched between the couple.

"I'm at the back of the stairs, with my back to the stairs and that's when Johnny runs up the stairs," she explained. "Once more, I am facing Amber. He approaches me from behind and hits me in the back."

According to Henriquez, Heard became upset and "landed one" on Depp.

One of Depp's bodyguards broke up the battle, but Henriquez stated that Depp "already grabbed Amber by the hair with one hand and was whacking her repeatedly in the face with the other."

She stated that the incident was the only time she saw Depp strike Heard.

She acknowledged that she sometimes sided with Depp and once joked in a text message that Depp should beat Heard, adding that she did not wholly comprehend what her sister was going through at the time.

"If my sister stated that she still desired to remain with Johnny, and I was able to assist her, I would stand by her. I planned to be there for her "Henriquez said.

Also, on Wednesday, Raquel Pennington, who represented herself as a former friend of Heard, stated in a taped statement that she never saw Depp strike Heard but observed the bruises and cuts caused by several bouts of abuse.

Pennington wept after viewing photographs of Heard's injuries. She testified that she took pictures of Heard's face in December 2015, following a confrontation in which Heard claimed Depp headbutted her and probably broke her nose and hair she said was pulled from Heard's scalp.

Pennington stated that "the opposite" was true when asked if Heard had ever used cosmetics to feign an injury.

"She often had to cover bruises and injuries to her face with makeup," said Pennington.

Melanie Inglessis, Heard's former makeup artist, testified that she helped Heard conceal injuries from the assault in December 2015 for her appearance on The Late Show With James Corden.

Inglessis stated that she observed damage around Heard's nose and eyes, consistent with a headbutt and a bloodied lip.

"We covered the discoloration, the bruises, with slightly heavier concealer," she explained, adding that she used a concealer with a peachy undertone to counteract the blue.

"Although Amber always has red lip ... I remember clearly talking we had no other option that night then to use a really red lipstick to make sure we could cover up the injuries on the lip," Inglessis explained.

Kristina Sexton, Heard's acting instructor from 2010 to 2017, testified that she observed the couple's relationship transform from "lovey-dovey and passionate" to melancholy.

"Johnny became ... much darker as time went on," remarked Sexton. Literally and figuratively, he sat in dark spaces.

Sexton claimed that Heard's career was under Depp's control, stating that she saw the actress less frequently as time went on and often came up to coaching sessions in tears.

"I would say the last year they were together, probably 80-90 percent of our sessions began with her crying and that would be increasing as it went on," she said.

Publish : 2022-05-19 09:38:00

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