Testimony : Willy Wonka, Marlon Brando and probably the most bizarre moment in the Depp Heard trial

May 24, 2022

Cross-examination of Amber Heard’s witness Dr. David Spiegel got partially heated on Monday. So much so that Johnny Depp covered his face in disbelief.

dr David Spiegel was hired by Amber Heard’s legal team to investigate Johnny Depp’s drug use and testify about the possible physical consequences of his drug addiction. Spiegel is an experienced psychiatrist and behavioral therapist and stated on the witness stand that 75 percent of his patients struggled with drug problems.

Johnny Depp: Testimony from Dr. David Mirror

He did not meet Depp personally, but evaluated statements and recordings of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star. And he concluded that Depp’s addiction was already affecting his receptiveness. Part of the reason for his assumption was the fact that Johnny Depp occasionally wears a button in his ear when he is at work. “Did you read Mr. White’s statement when he told what he heard through the button in his ear?” Depp’s attorney Wayne Dennison wanted to know in cross-examination by Spiegel, who said yes. It was music, the lawyer explained, not the lines from the script. “If Mr. Depp got music instead of his script lines, does that change your mind about his cognitive abilities?” the defense attorney challenged the psychiatrist.

Spiegel insisted that he knew that Depp also got his lines leaked, but still gave in a little. What followed was an exchange of practices among actors, after which the psychiatrist insisted that he knew absolutely nothing about how actors operate. “Do you know if Marlon Brando wore a button in his ear?” Dennison asked. “Isn’t he dead?” Spiegel replied in amazement, not only astonishing Johnny Depp, who put his hand in front of his face. “I used the past tense,” the attorney explained.

Cross-examination of Amber Heard’s witnesses

Dennison also nailed the psychiatrist for saying he also judged Depp based on his performance in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He compared these with the statements of the actor in court. Spiegel apologized for the comparison, but the lawyer did not give up. “Have any other portrayals of Mr. Depp in films influenced your evaluation of his cognitive abilities?” he challenged Spiegel. “You don’t care about Willy Wonka?” he asked, wanting to know if he’d seen Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

There was a brief silence during which Spiegel opened his mouth wide and revealed his moving tongue. Johnny Depp also looked puzzled and took a closer look. “Do I have to answer the question?” asked Mirror Judge Penny Azcarate. “Yes, you must answer questions,” she replied. “You’ll be glad to know I haven’t seen Willy Wonka and I haven’t watched 21 Jump Street either,” he said.

It was one of the most bizarre moments imaginable in the ongoing defamation trial. Depp has sued Amber Heard, to whom he was married from 2015 to 2017, for $50 million in damages. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” star accuses the 36-year-old of having seriously damaged his career with false allegations of domestic violence. The background is an article for the “Washington Post” from 2018, in which Heard described himself as a victim of domestic and sexual violence without naming Depp.

Heard responded with a counterclaim against the 58-year-old, demanding $100 million in damages. She had accused Depp of raping her with a bottle while intoxicated. Depp, on the other hand, denied ever using violence against her. The process goes until May 27th.