An acting coach who worked with Amber Heard between 2011 and 2017 claims that she knew that Heard's tears on the witness stand were real because she always had trouble crying on cue while performing.
Kristina Sexton told the Virginia courtroom in a pre-recorded testimony on Wednesday (18 May) that while working with Heard, she often became accustomed to seeing the actress cry during their sessions together as a result of the increasingly volatile fights between her and her former husband, Johnny Depp.
Sexton also claimed that as the couple's relationship continued to deteriorate 'and the fighting got heavier', she would often have to restructure their appointments together as 'she'd be sobbing at the beginning of sessions, and we couldn't work until we got her together'.
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Sexton’s testimony this week is yet another twist in the bombshell defamation trial between Depp and Heard, instigated by a 2018 Washington Post op-ed article written by Heard in which she insinuated she was a survivor of domestic and sexual violence. The piece did not mention Depp by name.
Following its publication, Depp accused Heard of ruining his reputation and career by insinuating that he abused her, with the actor’s attorney claiming the the piece 'falsely and unfairly characterized Mr. Depp as a villain'. Heard subsequently denied Depp's defamation allegations and claimed in a $100 million countersuit that he assaulted her before and during their marriage, which ended in divorce in 2016.
Depp has denied the claims.
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Elsewhere in her testimony, Sexton went on to describe her close personal and professional relationship with Heard, claiming that the two of them were on friendly terms and that the actress would often invite her out on birthday trips and holidays.
At the start of the claimant’s relationship, Sexton said, she noted that the couple were 'incredibly lovey-dovey and passionate' with each other and were 'always together in a positive way'.
But as time went on, Sexton said that she started seeing less of them together and would often hear loud arguments while inside their home for acting sessions, and that as their relationship continued to decline that she had to start adding 'cushion time' to their meetings because Depp and Heard would frequently be having fights that would leave Heard in tears.
"It went from being like a normal couple to very tension-filled, especially those last few months that they were together," Sexton said.
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"I would say that last year they were together, probably 80 to 90% of our sessions began with her crying."
Elsewhere in her deposition, in response to claims that Heard may have been faking her tears when testifying to the jury, Sexton responded that she could tell when Heard's tears were genuine because 'ironically, she has a little difficulty crying acting-wise'.
Heard last testified to the court on Tuesday, where she broke down sobbing after pleading with her ex-husband to stop calling her a liar.
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"I don't want to call myself a victim. I don't like to think of myself as a victim, and I don't want him to think I'm attacking him or blaming him,” Heard said on Tuesday as she broke down on the stand.
"I don't want anything from him – just don't call me a liar. It's all I said. Just don't call me a liar.
"Just don't say this isn't real, because I'm the walking proof of it.”
Tom Sanders