A Los Angeles police officer has testified that she did not identify Amber Heard as a domestic violence victim while giving a deposition in Johnny Depp’s US $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife.
LAPD officer Melissa Saenz appeared in a pre-recorded deposition when she recalled visiting Depp and Heard's penthouse apartment in May 2016.
While being questioned by Heard's lawyer Elaine Bredehoft, Saenz said: "I did not identify her as a victim of domestic violence.”
The following week from Saenz's visit, the actress filed for divorce and organised a restraining order against Depp as she claimed the actor struck her with a phone before the officer stopped by the premises.
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While under questioning, Bredehoft asked if Saenz saw any visible bruises on Heard's face that correlated with her claims of Depp’s physical violence.
Saenz said: “No I do not", to which Bredehoft responded: “What is your perception of the redness on the cheek and the eyelid and above the eyebrow?”
Saenz responded: “It's consistent with her crying - she's fair skin, her face is flushed.”
Bredehoft then asked: “You don't think it's consistent with a cell phone being thrown at her?”
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Saenz reaffirmed her belief that Heard's facial redness was due to crying.
She said: “It does not look like an injury caused from a cell phone. It's consistent with someone crying.”
Bredehoft asked: “If you saw any signs of injury on Amber Heard or even just damage to the property, would you have been duty bound to make a report?”
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“Correct,” said Saenz.
Bredehoft then asked Saenz about property damage inflicted on their apartment, but the officer said she couldn’t find evidence to support Heard’s claims.
Bredehoft asked: “Now, your recollection is that there was damage to the flat, you searched the entire flat and there was no damage, no broken glass, or anything out of the ordinary, would you agree?”
Saenz said: “Correct.”
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Shortly before officer Saenz's deposition, forensic psychologist Shannon Curry, hired by the Pirates of the Caribbean’s lawyers, gave a testimony providing her analysis of Heard’s mental health, according to ABC News.
Curry dismissed Heard’s claims that she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from her relationship with the actor and told the court that she was likely to suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder.
After spending several hours with the actress, Curry studied Heard’s behaviour and reviewed her mental health records, seeing symptoms aligning with the disorder.
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"These aren't fact, but her scores were consistent with other people who had obtained these scores who have been shown through many, many studies to have these very specific traits," Curry said.
Depp is suing Heard in a defamation lawsuit over a 2018 op-ed, where she claimed to have been a victim of physical abuse, with a trial expected to conclude in May.
Topics: Johnny Depp, News, TV and Film, US News, Celebrity