Surgeon: Johnny Depp’s severed finger story has flaws

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A hand surgeon testified Monday that Johnny Depp couldn’t have misplaced the tip of his center finger the way in which he advised jurors it occurred in his civil lawsuit towards ex-wife Amber Heard.

The finger damage, which occurred in a March 2015 struggle in Australia between Depp and Heard, has been one in every of a number of key factors of dispute within the lawsuit. Depp says he was injured when Heard threw a vodka bottle at him. Heard has mentioned she by no means noticed particularly the way it occurred, however that it occurred on an evening when an enraged Depp sexually assaulted her with a liquor bottle.

Depp is suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Courtroom over a December 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Publish describing herself as “a public determine representing home abuse.” His attorneys say he was defamed by the article although it by no means talked about his identify.

Depp has denied he ever struck Heard, and says she was the abuser within the relationship. Heard has testified about greater than a dozen separate cases of bodily abuse she says she suffered at Depp’s palms.

In testimony Monday, surgeon Richard Moore testified in regards to the severed finger as jurors noticed grotesque photographs of the damage. He mentioned that Depp described that his palm was down on a bar when it was struck by the bottle.

Moore, who didn’t deal with Depp, testified that Depp’s description is unlikely, largely as a result of his fingernail remained intact. Moore mentioned the fingernail was uncovered, as Depp described the location of his hand, and would have been broken. Moore additionally mentioned there would have been different cuts on the remainder of his hand from the glass that shattered on impression.

Whereas Depp advised the jury that Heard severed the finger by throwing a vodka bottle, on the time of the accident he advised individuals and despatched textual content messages saying he’d executed it to himself. At one level he mentioned the finger had been pinched between stable accordion doorways.

Depp now says he lied to guard Heard. Moore testified that getting the finger pinched in accordion doorways could be per the damage.

The trial is now in its sixth week. Monday’s testimony was comparatively mundane in a trial that has offered an unsightly glimpse into the couple’s poisonous relationship. There had been an expectation that Heard’s attorneys have been going to name Depp to the stand Monday, however that didn’t happen. Heard’s lawyer, Elaine Bredehoft, mentioned on the finish of the day Monday that they’re nonetheless discussing whether or not to name him.

Jurors had already heard from each Depp and Heard extensively — every was on the stand for 4 days, present process grueling cross-examinations.

Additionally Monday, a psychiatrist testified that Depp’s habits matches the sample of an individual whose drug and alcohol abuse contributes to home violence.

Depp lawyer Wayne Dennison questioned the ethics and credibility of the psychiatrist’s opinions, on condition that he by no means carried out an examination of Depp.

Later Monday, Dennison extensively questioned one other Heard witness, leisure professional Kathryn Arnold, about her assertion that Heard misplaced out on a possible $40 million to $50 million when one other Depp lawyer referred to as Heard’s claims of abuse a “hoax.” Heard has filed a counterclaim towards Depp based mostly on these statements.

Arnold mentioned she measured Heard’s profession towards “comparable” stars like Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa and Zendaya to point out the place Heard’s profession would have gone if Depp legal professional Adam Waldman had not defamed her.

Dennison, in his questioning, scoffed on the notion that Heard was in the identical league as these stars. He was additionally dismissive of Heard’s position as Mera within the “Aquaman” superhero movie franchise, saying that the to-be-released “Aquaman” sequel is extra like a “buddy comedy” than a movie that may characteristic Heard as a romantic lead.

Heard “was on the precipice of a terrific profession,” Arnold insisted.

The trial has drawn rising public consideration over its size. Individuals camped out in a single day and squabbled over locations in line as they sought to get one of many 100 seats within the courtroom allotted to the general public. Throughout a morning break, one lady professed her love for Depp and requested when he was going to acknowledge that he was the daddy of the newborn she was holding in her arms.

She was faraway from the courtroom.