Psychologist Says Johnny Depp Kicked Amber Heard In Argument About James Franco

Amber Heard's psychologist has said that Johnny Depp kicked his ex-wife in the back during an argument over actor James Franco.

Depp is suing Heard for $50 million (£38.2 million) in a defamation lawsuit over domestic abuse claims she made in a 2018 article in The Washington Post. 

Depp's attorneys rested their case yesterday (Tuesday 3 May) after 13 days of testimony against Heard, and forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes is the first witness to be brought by Heard's legal team.

Alamy

Dr Hughes said that Heard endured multiple acts of violence and sexual abuse at the hands of Depp, including one instance which allegedly took place in 2014, referred to as the 'Boston plane incident'.

Dr Hughes told the court: "Ms Heard is on the plane, waiting for Mr Depp to come on. He's reportedly sitting in the SUV smoking weed and drinking. She is filming with James Franco at this point.

"He gets on the plane and starts talking about James Franco, making a lot of derogatory comments about her. 'Hope you had fun with your escapades' and some more inflammatory language.

"Then in an argument when she got up to leave, he kicked her in the back. She went forward on the plane, to the front of the plane."

Heard and Franco were shooting in New York for their film The Adderall Diaries at the time.

Dr Hughes spent a total of 29 hours interviewing Aquaman star Heard, and told the court about Depp's alleged 'drug-fuelled rages'.

Law & Crime Network

She said: "When Mr Depp was drunk or high, he'd throw her on the bed, rip off her nightgown, and try to have sex with her.

"There were times when he forced her to give him oral sex when he was angry. These weren't in loving moments. These were angry moments.

"These were moments of dominance, moments where he was trying to get control of her."

Dr Hughes also spoke about one alleged incident where Depp apparently performed a cavity search on Heard to 'find cocaine'.

Depp has denied all accusations of abuse against Heard and is suing his former partner for $50m (£38.2m), with Heard having issued a counterclaim for $100m (£76.4m).

The pair began dating after meeting on the set of 2011 film The Rum Diary and got married in 2015. Heard obtained a restraining order against Depp the following year and they finalised their divorce in 2017.

In 2020, Depp lost a libel case brought against The Sun over an article in which he was labelled a 'wife beater'.