[imagesource: AP]

Things have not been going particularly well for Amber Heard during the ongoing libel case brought against her by Johnny Depp. In fact, things have been going so poorly that Heard sacked her PR team, Precision Strategies, due to her frustration at the tide of support for Depp.

Because Depp filed the case, he was given the chance to testify first, thereby shaping the narrative right from the start. Heard will be up against many who have already dug their heels in when she testifies, which could be this week.

Proceedings in Virginia yesterday kicked off with a financial expert, testifying on behalf of the actor, saying Depp had lost earnings of about $40 million due to the allegations levelled against him by his ex-wife.

Heard’s former nurse, Erin Falati, also testified on behalf of the actor and stated that Heard suffered from “difficulty with jealousy issues and anxiety” regarding her former husband’s fame and ability to “interact with females often”.

She also said that Heard had suffered from “substance abuse including an addiction to cocaine and liquor” but had been clean for a few years by 2014.

Attention then shifted to the defence’s first witness, Dr Dawn Hughes, reports Sky News.

A warning that there are descriptions of sexual assault below:

She told jurors she spent a total of 29 hours evaluating Heard, and concluded that the actress suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by violence suffered at the hands of Depp, including multiple acts of sexual assault…

Image: Jim Watson / Pool via AP

Detailing allegations of sexual violence made to her by Heard against Depp, Dr Hughes [above] told the court the actress had described several instances of sexual abuse – including one during their now infamous fight in Australia in 2015, during which the actress claimed her then husband penetrated her with a bottle…

Heard could be seen blinking back tears, appearing visibly upset as the psychologist detailed the sexual abuse allegations.

Dr Hughes said that many of the abuse allegations were backed up by apologies Depp made to Heard, as well as text messages Depp sent to friends.

The psychologist said that while Heard did become physical with Depp, as well as verbally abusive, the difference was that Depp’s violence was “intimidating and threatened Heard’s safety”.

Via NewsAU, Dr Hughes outlined further instances of alleged abuse:

“When Mr. Depp was drunk or high, he threw her on the bed, ripped off her nightgown and tried to have sex with her,” said Hughes, referring to alleged abuse Heard had reported to her. “There were times when he forced her to give him oral sex when he was angry at her.”

Image: AFP

…Hughes told jurors that Heard’s parents also struggled with drug addiction, and the actress was forced to become a caretaker at a young age… The dysfunctional family dynamic played a role in her relationship with Depp, said Hughes, the first witness called by Heard’s team.

Following Dr Hughes’ testimony, her WebMD profile was flooded with negative reviews and comments, many of which defended Depp.

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million over a 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post and has denied all claims of abuse.

[sources:sky&newsau]