A clinical psychologist testified that Johnny Depp "kicked" Amber Heard "in the back" during a fight over James Franco.
Dr. Dawn Hughes, a clinical and forensic psychologist, was the first witness brought by Heard's legal team as they began their defense Tuesday in Fairfax, Virginia in Depp's ongoing defamation trial against ex-wife Heard.
Hughes gave an opposite professional analysis than the forensic psychologist brought to the stand by Depp's team last week, who said Heard had no signs of PTSD. Instead, Hughes said the actress does have post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by what she called the "intimate partner violence by Mr. Depp."
Hughes looked at Heard's medical records, past depositions and met with the actress four times in person and twice via Zoom, totaling about 29 hours. She also interviewed some of Heard's treating physicians and the star's late mom Paige.
During her testimony, Hughes detailed Depp's alleged outburst on a May 2014 flight from Boston to Los Angeles over Heard's relationship with Franco.
Heard, 36, and Franco, 44, became acquainted while shooting the film The Adderall Diaries in New York City over 2014.
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One time, after Depp, 58, accused Heard of flirting with someone while on an outing in Hicksville, New York, "Mr. Depp performed a 'cavity search' and ostensibly was looking for drugs and felt it acceptable to rip off her nightgown and stick his fingers up her vagina to look for cocaine and thought maybe she was hiding it there," said Hughes.
"There was another incident in the Bahamas where, when he got angry, he took his fingers and he put them in her vagina and moved her around violently in the closet," she continued, adding, "And, of course, the incident in Australia — one of the most severe instances of sexual violence that Ms. Heard had to endure — when he was beating her and choking her and telling her, 'I'm going to f-----g kill you. I hate you.' ... He grabbed a bottle that was on the bar and penetrated her with that bottle."
Hughes said, "Ms. Heard reported to me of dissociating and going outside of her body. The only thing she was thinking is, 'Oh God, I hope it's not the broken one."