A forensic psychologist has challenged claims that Amber Heard has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Heard entered its final week on Monday (23 May), almost three weeks after Dr Dawn Hughes – a psychologist hired by Heard's legal team – said the Aquaman star ‘demonstrated very clear psychological and traumatic effects'.
However, earlier today (25 May), forensic psychologist Dr Shannon Curry appeared in the Virginia court as a rebuttal witness, and disputed Dr Hughes’ testimony.
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According to Sky News, Dr Curry said PTSD is ‘the most frequently feigned and claimed diagnosis in civil courts’.
She also claimed that Dr Hughes gave Heard a ‘checklist’ of PTSD symptoms, essentially ‘teaching all the little nuances’ required for a diagnosis.
Explaining why such checklists shouldn’t be used, Dr Curry said: “They don't provide us with the robust information that would be expected in such a high-stakes setting.”
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Dr Curry also testified that Heard's approach to different PTSD tests was ‘influenced by what we call the face validity of questions’.
Dr Curry meant that in instances where tests look like they’re measuring PTSD, you may see exaggeration.
Speaking earlier this month during Depp’s $50 million (£38m) defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Dr Hughes said it was her ‘main opinion’ that Heard’s 'report of intimate partner violence’ were ‘consistent with what we know in the field' regarding domestic violence.
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According to The Independent, Dr Hughes added that Heard demonstrated ‘very clear psychological and traumatic effects'.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Depp’s ex-girlfriend Kate Moss testified on his behalf after Heard previously described a rumour that Depp had pushed Moss down a flight of stairs.
The British supermodel, who dated Depp in the 1990s, appeared in court by video link from a location in Gloucestershire.
The supermodel said she slipped down the stairs while vacationing in Jamaica with the actor, which contradicts comments made by Heard on 5 May.
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Depp’s lawyer, Benjamin Chew, asked the model whether the Edward Scissorhands star had ever pushed her down stairs while they were in a relationship.
"No, he never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs," Moss replied.
"And I screamed because I didn't know what had happened to me and I was in pain.
"And [Depp] came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention."
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If you've been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can speak in confidence about where to get help from Mind free on 0300 123 3393, 9am–6pm Monday to Friday
Topics: Amber Heard, Johnny Depp
Aisha Nozari