Johnny Depp’s libel lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard heard a snippet of testimony Tuesday contradicting one of Heard’s key witnesses, but much of the context was stripped away.Jennifer Howell — who once employed Heard’s sister, Whitney Henriquez — testified briefly Tuesday in the six-week civil trial through a recorded deposition.Depp is suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” His lawyers say he was defamed by the article even though it never mentioned his name.Depp has denied he ever struck Heard, and says she was the abuser in the relationship.
Heard has testified about more than a dozen separate instances of physical abuse she says she suffered at Depp’s hands.Howell testified that she sent an email in 2020 to Henriquez begging her to tell the truth.Jurors, though, did not see the letter, nor did Howell explain in what way she thought Henriquez was being untruthful.
The edited deposition played in court for less than 15 minutes — Howell appeared to walk out of the deposition before lawyers had completed their questioning.
Johnny Depp’s severed finger story has flaws, surgeon says in Amber Heard trial In a court document, Howell goes into much greater detail.