Psychologist evaluation of Amber Heard revealed two personality disorders

WASHINGTON: A clinical and forensic psychologist who evaluated Amber Heard testified Tuesday that the actress showed signs of two personality disorders during the ninth day of trial in Johnny Depp's defamation lawsuit, reported United Press International (UPI).

Shannon Curry, an expert in intimate partner violence hired by Depp's legal team, said that her evaluation of the 36-year-old actress revealed diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder but not post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Curry said the evaluation was based on "all the case documents," Heard's medical records, audio and video recordings, photos, "multiple witness statements," and participation in a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test. She also said she met with Heard on Dec 10 and Dec 17 for a total of 12 hours.

Heard displayed a "reactive," "overly dramatic presentation" and used words such as "magical" and "wonderful" to describe events and oscillated between "princess and victim."

People with such personality disorders may present as sophisticated "cute and girly" but "may in reality be very destructive," "dramatic, erratic and unpredictable" and posses an "underlying drive not to be abandoned but also to be centre of attention."

She said that anyone attempting to maintain an intimate relationship with someone diagnosed with borderline personalities can expect to go from "idolized to dumpster" and that such people tend to be "assaultive as partners."

"They'll make threats using the legal system, threaten to file for a restraining order, claim abuse," Curry said.

Heard said she suffered PTSD from abuse she faced at the hands of Depp. While Curry said her evaluation showed no evidence of PTSD, she noted that does not necessarily indicate the abuse did not occur.

"Just because somebody doesn't have PTSD doesn't mean that they weren't harmed psychologically by whatever is being alleged -- in this case, Heard is alleging that she was psychologically harmed and that she suffered PTSD because of abuse that she alleges occurred by Depp," Curry said.

Curry said that she was not board-certified during cross-examination by an attorney for Heard and said she only met with Depp's legal team when asked about a meeting over dinner and drinks at Depp's home before she was placed on retainer.

Depp, 58, filed the US$50 million suit against Heard, saying she defamed him and damaged his career by writing a 2018 op-ed printed in The Washington Post describing her years of abuse with him as similar reports emerged during their divorce. Heard countersued for US$100 million.

-- BERNAMA