Thread by @HeatherWhaley

Today I will attempt to live tweet the Johnny Depp Amber Heard trial if I can make it through without throwing my television out the window. Follow along if you want. Or don’t. I don’t care.

Terrence Doherty (?) testifies that he studied History and English at Oberlin. Then he taught kindergarten and was an editor and then went to Columbia law school. He did research for Bell Hooks.

He’s got a nice zoom room.

He also worked for the ACLU. How on earth did Terrence get roped into this mess?

Maybe Terrence is there on behalf of all of us and he’s going to put a stop to all of this.

Oh. Amber said she would donate her divorce settlement to the ACLU. Johnny donated it directly to the ACLU and apparently she was furious. She accused him of wanting a tax break.

Amber paid $350k to the ACLU directly. A bunch of other payments made in total of 1.2 million.

She received 7 million in the settlement.

She told the ACLU she would give them 3.5 million.

BREAKING: 500k of the donation made to the ACLU on behalf of Amber Heard is believed to have come from Elon Musk #FreeSpeech

Amber pledged the other 3.5 to a children’s hospital.

*I would not have made such public pledges.

I got distracted but I think Amber became an ACLU ambassador on gender-based violence.

The ACLU reviewed and participated in the drafting of the op-ed in which Amber called herself a public face of domestic violence, which is what this trial is all about.

Johnny and lawyers have a giggle about something.

Four lawyers from the ACLU helped with that op-ed. Terence was not one of them.

Elon Musk sent an email telling the ACLU that Amber would pay the 3.5 over ten years.

This was never confirmed. Seems like Elon sent several emails about Amber’s donation.

Omg Elon made that donation of 500k in the form of 255,675,777,926,574,753,864,765,779,196,578,357,578,578,063,001 @dogecoin

Just kidding

The ACLU sent Amber a payment schedule. She never agreed to any schedule.

When Johnny made a payment to the ACLU on behalf of Amber in the amount of 100k they were unsure if this was part of her pledge, or an additional donation. Someone at the ACLU was following TMZ and gave them a heads up.

Amber told the ACLU that they could go ahead and cash Johnny’s check.

Interesting to note that Johnny frequently uses triple exclamation points in his written communications!!!

Also he signed the emails he wrote to Amber’s parents from

Your son-out-law

which in an of itself is grounds for divorce.

Amber sent this email regarding the 350k payment and the 500k - which seems like she’s saying she’s not paying any more. She never sent them anything more.

There was one more payment from a Fidelity account for 350k in 2018.

It was an anonymous account that the ACLU believed was set up by Amber Heard.

They believe that because she told them it was her account.

They didn’t investigate to find out if Amber actually funded that account herself.

Honestly why would they?

Since December 2018 she hasn’t donated anything to the ACLU. They reached out to her in 2019 for the next installment and learned she was having financial difficulties.

15 minute break. This is my favorite part.

They’re back.

…sigh…

Terence Dougherty still on video deposition. They’re asking about Amber’s work as an ACLU ambassador.

The op-ed was the idea of someone in their communications department.

They suggested she could interweave her personal experience of gender-based violence into the op-ed. If she wanted.

Amber had drinks with someone at the ACLU and it was determined the ACLU staff would write the first draft of the op-ed.

Ugh.

Let’s see if Amber made any edits…

They told Amber they “skirted around” talking about her marriage and suggest she share with attorneys.

Amber had an NDA and the ACLU didn’t want to violate that.

Massive amounts of sirens outside Terence’s place.

The ACLU met with Amber and discussed her personal experiences to incorporate into the op-ed.

Her legal team didn’t want her to talk about her marriage. The ACLU thought it made it more impactful. Amber didn’t want to refer directly to Johnny.

Amber wanted the op-ed to come out just after Aquaman.

The ACLU agreed.

She wanted to include the detail that she had successfully received a restraining order against her then husband.

Her lawyers were like 😬

In trying to get the Washington Post to publish the op-ed the ACLU said “wondering if you’d be interested in this op-ed by Amber Heard, who as you may know was beaten up by her ex-husband Johnny Depp during their brief marriage.”

I wouldn’t expect the ACLU comms team to use the phrase “beaten-up.”

Terence has removed his jacket.

An article in USA Today tied the op-ed to Johnny Depp.

People made the connection even though she didn’t mention his name.

Everyone noticed this at the time.

This is the crux of this entire case. Amber says she never mentioned him.

She maybe didn’t but… I mean…

USA Today basically re-wrote the op-ed and used his name. Everyone at ACLU knew she was writing about Johnny Depp.

Is this tattoo an elephant head or a moth?

Again they’re discussing how she hedged on her pledge.

People: don’t promise money if you don’t really want to give that money.

And even if he’s your current boyfriend don’t have Elon Musk make those donations for you.

ACLU comms department was concerned with news articles coming out about whether Amber had made good on her pledge.

Understandably, an organization that relies on donations would not want to publicly disparage or make public comments which would embarrass a donor.

Now Amber's attorney is taking over the questioning, and is asking him the difference between a "donation" and a "pledge."

A pledge is legally binding but not always. Donate is more broad but can mean the same.

The ACLU was hoping and expecting the whole 3.5 million donation but she never signed the pledge form and then reported financial difficulties.

Her atty asks if he knows she doesn’t intend to pay.

He has no idea.

Once Johnny sent the 100k she was told she overpaid for that year.

…Still she hasn’t donated anything since 2018.

They’re going to argue that since she has donated (technically) 1.3 million so she was good for the next few years.

Terence is doing math.

Amber is still an ambassador for the ACLU.

They might want to rethink that after hearing the tapes.

(In the tapes played she admits to punching Johnny Depp, and calls him a pussy and says that nobody would believe that he was a victim of domestic violence)

Now they're talking about other donations from Elon Musk. Are they going to suggest that these be credited to Amber? She's also asking if they would have been happy and promoted Amber's donation if it were only for 1.3 million.

They conclude by what sounds to me like implying that since it was the ACLU's idea for her to write it, that it's not her fault.

LUNCH!!! We made it!!!

Court is in recess until 2:30 because the judge has something to do at 2 pm. Wonder what that is. Also I always wonder what everyone has for lunch. Where do they eat it? Do they get delivery?

Highlights previously observed in this trial include:

Johnny testified that Bruce Robinson was not convinced that Amber was a strong enough actor to cast her in The Rum Diary. Johnny said that he would work with her and gave her some films to watch to ensure a subtle performance

Johnny Depp was going to help Amber Heard to not be too over the top in her performance.

When they started dating, a lot of Amber's friends moved into Johnny's spare houses. He has a lot of houses.

Johnny testified that people are amazed that he never gets drunk, no matter how much he drinks.

An audio recording of him moaning like an animal when we was passed out on a plane was played, as was a tape Amber made of him having what looks like a drunken tantrum one morning.

He and a butler that he hired testified that Amber drinks two bottles of red wine pretty much every night.

**I'm not judging. I don't care how much Amber Heard drinks or doesn't drink.

He said that when they fight she doesn’t stop and he will lock himself in the bathroom. Once she was trying to get in and he was trying to keep the door closed and she said, “My foot!” He looked down to see if her foot was hurt and she slammed the door into his head.

When he came out *he says* that she was swinging at him and to get her to stop he tried to put her in a bear hug and they bumped heads. She says he head butted her.

She came out of the bathroom with a tissue that looked bloody. Johnny says that he found the tissue and it was nail polish.

While filming one of the Pirates movies she got mad he was drinking and hurled a bottle of vodka at him, smashing his finger on the edge of the bar, cutting off the tip. The butler later found the finger and put it in a baggie with some ice.

When he left her she or a friend POOPED on his bed and left it there. If I were Johnny I’d have DNA tested that poop.

Here’s what I shared yesterday from the #DeppHeardTrial

https://twitter.com/HeatherWhaley/status/1519496083038248960

They’re back. Plaintiff calls Edward White. Mr. White is present in the courtroom.

He lives in LA. He’s an accountant.

His firm represents governmental entities and high wealth individuals. He was in the Air Force. Thank you for your service Mr. White!

He was Johnny Depp’s new business manager who met with him to show how the former business manager had taken a ton of money from him. The meeting took place the day of Amber’s birthday party and Johnny was late because it was such an important meeting.

This is the day the marriage ended. He left that night.

Mr. White was also involved in the divorce.

He says that Amber wanted 5 million and 500k for her attorneys. He says she also wanted unresolved community liabilities, over 13 million. She wanted 14 million tax-free.

She initially wanted $ paid directly to ACLU and Children’s Hospital. Then she said she wanted to be paid directly.

In 2017 she got 4.5 million

Then she got another 2.3 in early 2018.

He also paid the 13 million community liabilities and 500k to her attorneys.

So she got 14 million and also wanted him to pay the taxes.

They were married 15 months.

His attorney is asking if he knows 2020 Wine Merchants which leads to an objection from her attorney

They are a top purveyor of wine in Los Angeles. At the end of the marriage the wine bill was 160k. Now it’s zero.

The wine Amber liked was a very expensive Spanish wine.

500 DOLLARS A BOTTLE

jfc

At that birthday party she had 13 bottles. 5 of these fancy bottles.

(I’m not alarmed by the number of bottles)

Now her lawyer is badgering White about how much he gets paid.

They did this to the island caretaker also.

They ask if one of his colleagues is in regular contact with Johnny’s sister and White says no.

Transcript of deposition being distributed.

On pg 116 he said one of his colleagues probably communicates with her.

Depp had lots of assets and needed cash it sounds like.

Now her lawyer is talking about Johnny’s extravagant spending. He paid $$$ to blast Hunter Thompson’s ashes out of a cannon. A yacht, island, etc.

Johnny testified that this meeting with White was devastating.

White says it was not “catastrophic” probably because he’s so skilled as a money manager he knew he could fix it.

I’d like to talk to Mr. White myself.

Johnny and Amber are writing a lot. Johnny has been writing constantly. What is he writing?

Johnny owed back taxes. They’re going through his tax returns.

I’m getting hives. I’m allergic to tax talk.

Discussion of whether he was late to set on some Pirates movie. It has been stated previously that he was often late.

He was late to do ADR. That’s different. It’s annoying but not as many people waiting on you with the clock ticking.

Still thinking about that $500 wine.

@TheFrankWhaley and I sometimes spring for the $15 rosé.

Amber’s attorneys regularly irritate the hell out of the witnesses. Granted these are his witnesses, but they don’t let anyone answer, interrupt, and they’re not at all skillful about it. The guy objected to his own question as a way to get the butler to stop talking.

Redirect. Johnny Depp is current with all his federal, state, and foreign taxes.

That must be a relief.

Next witness is via video. Judge asks him to turn his camera on. Mr. Connelly testifying from Essex UK.

Connolly does personal security.

His job was to make sure Johnny Depp wasn’t in any danger in the public.

He knows Amber, too. Worked for her in 2010 for a week. Next time he saw her was on The Rum Diary.

He says at the beginning they were “lovey dovey” but then “Amber started to change.”

He says she got feisty and grumpy. That she wanted to wear the pants and Johnny got quieter.

He and Amber got along fine.

He heard arguments between them. He heard Amber screaming but he wasn’t there every night.

He said it happened more often than not.

He said he never saw physical violence but that’s not the sort of thing anyone would ever do in front of security. Except

Once on a private plane they were bickering. It was animated. He says she threw a lighter at him. It bounced off his chest.

Another time he went to their apartment and the door was open. He went in. There was a lot of shouting. A soda can was launched from the mezzanine (Johnny has the biggest tv he’s ever seen) the can smashed on the tv sprayed everywhere.

He could hear Amber upstairs at the time.

He never observed physical injuries on Heard.

Sometimes Johnny would have scratches.

He said it was always on the left side of his face.

They went on the Orient Express for their honeymoon.

I think that’s what he said.

My mom called and I didn’t hear the first part of this.

Here’s a photo from the honeymoon where his eye is swollen.

Connolly said either he walked into a door or the door walked into him.

He says two or three days into the five day trip he could tell Johnny wasn’t enjoying it but it wasn’t his business.

He said Amber demanded their own dining car. Connolly asked about it and was told-OBJECTION

Connolly has seen Depp smoke marijuana but suspects he did cocaine in the bathroom, but Depp wouldn’t risk his license by doing it in front of him. Says he’s perfectly functioning smoking weed.

He says Jack Sparrow more of a drunk than Depp. (Laughs from the courtroom) Says he’s not a big boozer now. Has only seen him drunk a couple of times. 🙄

Johnny has a customized Plymouth?

I think he’s saying they Al went to some trailer park? Hitsville? Hicksville? There were zombies? Lots of booze, weed, and mushrooms.

He could see Johnny and Amber getting animated. He went to his caravan. They went back to LA the next day.

Not sure what that was about.

Afternoon break.

Anyone know why this is happening in Virginia?

I will take this break to repeat that both of these people seem really horrendous. We should all congratulate ourselves for not being in a relationship with Johnny Depp or Amber Heard. Well done, team. Keep up the good work!

They’re back.

Amber’s team is going to have a hard time objecting to Connolly because he might not hear them?

In Hicksville he advised Johnny to keep their argument private.

I think this is the place he’s talking about hicksvillepalace.com

He’s talking about the finger. It was chaos when he got there.

Screaming and shouting.

He tried to get him to leave, Amber appears and she’s screaming. Berating him, baiting him. “You fuck off that’s what you do. Fuck off Johnny you coward, etc.”

Johnny got out of the car and went back inside.

He got him back in the car and took him to his apartment. His finger was a mess. Tried to clean it up it was flapping around and you could see bone.

He called Debbie, the detox nurse. She and the doctor said he had to go to the hospital.

(He was hooked on roxycontin or something and hired a private nurse to help him detox)

He observed no injuries to Amber Heard and no other injuries to Depp except the finger and in hindsight what looked like a mark on his face.

He said she seemed “Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. Fierce.”

Cross-examination.

Johnny Depp didn’t pay Connolly until two years ago. He was paid by this guy Jerry Judge.

Johnny has given him gifts. He’s given Johnny gifts.

Johnny Depp consumed alcohol in Australia before Amber arrived.

They keep asking if Johnny Depp was with Marilyn Manson in Australia.

Connolly doesn’t know.

Okay I had to rewind and record this.

Defense plays a recording of Depp screaming about how he can see her roots.

Defense is maintaining that he wouldn’t have known if Amber had marks on her face because he was focused on Johnny. Connolly says not true. He seems offended. It’s his job to notice.

Defense has suggested several times that he cut his own finger off because he used phrases like “I cut my finger off.”

He says playing the guitar is the most important thing to him. He’d never do that.

Team Depp enjoying some gum.

Defense said, “You wouldn’t know if he was strangling Miss Heard, would you?”

So now the jury thinks he strangled her. If I were on the jury and they didn’t have her testify to being strangled this would be a huge mark against the defense.

Re-direct - Connolly is asked how far he was from Amber on the day of the finger incident. He said three or four feet. He was there for twenty seconds.

Nobody has reported seeing marks on Amber - in the days that I’ve been watching.

Next witness Starling Jenkins. He’s a chauffeur and works security.

He’s known Depp for thirty years. He’s done childcare, animal care, transportation, security, I think he said personal assistant, too.

He says Amber Heard was pleasant and cordial to him.

He did see them argue though. Initiated by her, she’d try to engage and Depp would ask him to turn the music up.

The day of Amber’s birthday party Jenkins was in the command post doing security for the party.

“No issues except the boss did not show.” He left at 11:15.

Amber told him the next morning that she threw Johnny’s phone, wallet, credit cards, passport over the balcony.

He used Find My Phone and found the phone six miles away. An unhoused gentleman had the phone.

He gave the gentleman $420 and bought him tacos.

Amber then went to Coachella. Jenkins went back to the apartment to get the bags.

He followed them as security. Amber and friends stayed at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs. Jenkins stayed there, too.

parkerpalmsprings.com

When he drove Amber to Coachella they talked about the turd she left in the bed.

She said it was a practical joke gone wrong.

He spent all weekend with her. Amber got sick from eating mushrooms and drinking wine on an empty stomach. “Magic mushrooms.”

He saw no injuries on her that weekend. And never saw violence.

Cross examination. Back to the birthday party.

Jenkins says he was told Johnny was with his mother that night. Or he assumed it was his mother. (Depp’s mother was in the hospital at the time.)

Aha! Johnny threw her phone off the roof also. Amber had found her phone when Jenkins arrived.

Defense attorney says the phone was found right under the balcony, not six miles away. He says not true.

Depp owns the entire top floor of this building, so a hurled phone could do some damage if it hit you.

Jenkins says the unhoused man found it under the balcony, and took the phone six miles away.

Defense says, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to have fun with your friends and family after being abused by your husband.”

“What abuse?”

Defense points out that she likely wouldn’t tell his longtime employee about any abuse.

Defense lists all the times Heard alleges abuse that Jenkins wouldn’t have been there.

Defense suggested the person who was sick at Coachella was Amber’s sister Whitney who was pregnant.

Jenkins says he knows the difference between them and it was Amber who was sick.

And that’s it!!!

This trail is only Monday through Thursday so they’re off for the weekend!!!

I’m exhausted!!!

Time for some wine - who has $500 for me???

xo