Defendant's Team · Charlson Bredehoft Cohen Brown & Nadelhaft

Adam Nadelhaft

Counsel for Amber Heard who questioned medical, fact and damages witnesses.

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11 – Jun 1, 2022

2,696 lines 39 proceedings 11 highlights

About

Adam Nadelhaft represented Amber Heard in her defamation trial with Johnny Depp. He questioned treating professionals and other witnesses about records and disputed accounts of injuries. On redirect, couples therapist Laurel Anderson reaffirmed that she had seen bruises under Heard’s eyes, but also said she understood Heard to have initiated physical violence and had never witnessed violence herself. Depp’s physician David Kipper confirmed that Depp told an emergency-room doctor he had sliced his finger with a knife; Kipper’s notes did not mention a thrown bottle. Nadelhaft also introduced photographs of cuts on Heard’s arm while questioning house manager Ben King about the limits of his firsthand knowledge of events in Australia.

In examining nurse Erin Falati, Nadelhaft drew on notes recording Heard’s bleeding lip in December 2015. Falati confirmed the bloody lip but said she could not see the scalp bruising Heard described. Her notes documented no injuries when she met Heard after the Australia incident.

Nadelhaft challenged entertainment expert Richard Marks with negative coverage of Depp that predated Heard’s op-ed. Marks responded that the earlier coverage had not changed Depp’s standing with studios. Nadelhaft also questioned damages expert Doug Bania’s use of selected Q-score data and examined Ron Schnell about his analysis of negative social-media activity concerning Heard. When Bania later disputed Schnell’s method and conclusions, Nadelhaft pressed him on exact-phrase searches that could miss paraphrases of Adam Waldman’s statements. Near the end of testimony, Nadelhaft questioned psychiatrist Richard Shaw about his criticism of Dr. David Spiegel’s opinions, eliciting that Depp had twice declined Spiegel’s requests for an examination. He also placed excluded defense evidence on the record through proffers.

Trial Record (39)

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11, 2022 – Jun 1, 2022 39 proceedings

Day 2 April 13, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Brandon Patterson Brandon Patterson Ashlee Stemland 8

Summary

ECB general manager Patterson authenticates 87 security video clips from May 2016, confirms chain of custody, and describes Depp as "animated" then "upset" in elevator footage.

Day 3 April 14, 2022

Direct Laurel Anderson — Direct Examination Laurel Anderson Adam Nadelhaft 82

Summary

Couples therapist Anderson recounts 2015 sessions, describing Heard's self-reported initiation of physical violence and a dynamic she characterized as mutual abuse.

Cross Cross Examination of Laurel Anderson Laurel Anderson Benjamin Chew 3

Summary

Chew's cross walks Anderson through her therapy notes, surfacing Heard's admissions of initiating physical violence and strategizing about filing a police report for legal advantage.

Redirect Redirect Examination of Laurel Anderson Laurel Anderson Adam Nadelhaft 12

Summary

Nadelhaft redirects Anderson to clarify bruise observations, contextualize Depp's therapy note language, and establish the finger injury was first disclosed on June 18, 2016.

Direct Direct Examination of Gina Deuters Gina Deuters Samuel Moniz 14

Summary

Depp friend Gina Deuters testifies about his substance use and her observations of Heard's behavior, before a sidebar over her social media posts interrupts the examination.

Colloquy Witness Struck, Front Row Rule Set After Eve Barlow Incident 5

Summary

Judge Azcarate strikes Gina Deuters' testimony after she admits watching trial clips, then bars non-legal-team from front row following Eve Barlow's note-passing.

Direct Direct Examination of David Kipper David Kipper Adam Nadelhaft 402

Summary

Depp's private physician testifies about Depp's polysubstance treatment, the 2014 Bahamas detox, and his observations at the Australia house following the March 2015 finger injury.

Day 4 April 18, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of David Kipper (Continued) David Kipper Adam Nadelhaft 2 33

Summary

Defense counsel reads Depp's hostile texts about Dr. Cowan and medication requests, then presses Kipper on non-payment and pre-deposition prep with Depp's legal team.

Highlights (2)

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“He's at best a fraudulent, irresponsible turd of monumental proportions!!!”

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“most necessary PRNs are all headaches meds, Xanax, Adderall”

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Redirect Redirect Examination of David Kipper David Kipper Adam Nadelhaft 14

Summary

Nadelhaft establishes that Depp told the ER he sliced his finger with a knife, and that nurse Boerum would have forwarded photos of Heard's injuries had she received them.

Direct Direct Examination of Debbie Lloyd Debbie Lloyd Adam Nadelhaft 425

Summary

Depp's addiction nurse describes his 2014–2015 care via nursing notes and texts, covering opiate detox, Australia filming, and the finger injury.

Cross Cross Examination of Debbie Lloyd Debbie Lloyd Jessica Meyers 10

Summary

Meyers cross-examined Depp's addiction nurse through her contemporaneous nursing notes, documenting Depp-Heard relationship tensions throughout 2014–2015 treatment without evidence of witnessed physical violence.

Redirect Redirect Examination of Debbie Lloyd Debbie Lloyd Adam Nadelhaft 2 24

Summary

Redirect of Debbie Lloyd reviews March 2015 nursing notes documenting Depp's finger assessment, anger, alcohol cravings, and her personal relationship with Dr. Kipper.

Highlights (2)

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“MD offered patient Valium 10 milligrams IM to help with his anxiety and anger, but patient refused.”

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“Patient was talking about wanting to drink alcohol but did not obtain any.”

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Day 8 April 25, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Ben King Ben King Samuel Moniz 19

Summary

Depp's former house manager describes finding the severed fingertip, extensive Australia property damage, and Heard asking if he had ever 'lost it' on the flight to LA.

Cross Cross Examination of Ben King Ben King Adam Nadelhaft 316

Summary

Heard's counsel challenged King on timeline gaps in Australia, his selective sharing of damage photos, and admitted photos of cuts on Heard's arm while two audio recordings were excluded as hearsay.

Redirect Redirect Examination of Ben King Ben King Samuel Moniz 7

Summary

Moniz uses a floor plan to geolocate Australia damage and the fingertip discovery, while rehabilitating King's photo-taking as routine professional practice.

Day 11 April 28, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Malcolm Connolly Malcolm Connolly Samuel Moniz 24

Summary

Depp's security guard Malcolm Connolly testified remotely about arguments, objects thrown by Heard, recurring marks on Depp, and the chaotic Australia finger-injury day.

Cross Cross Examination of Malcolm Connolly Malcolm Connolly Adam Nadelhaft 136

Summary

Defense cross-examined Connolly on financial ties to Depp, gaps in direct observation, UK testimony omissions, and played an audio clip of Depp's agitated state in Australia.

Day 12 May 2, 2022

Colloquy Preliminary Matters — Marks Expert Scope Ruling 6

Summary

Court handles expert attendance, witness address redaction, exhibit housekeeping, and rules on the scope of Richard Marks's op-ed impact testimony.

Direct Direct Examination of Richard Marks Richard Marks Rebecca Lecaroz 10

Summary

Depp's entertainment law expert Richard Marks details nearly 50 years of industry experience and opines that Heard's 2018 op-ed caused devastating reputational harm to Depp's career.

Cross Cross-Examination of Richard Marks Richard Marks Adam Nadelhaft 115

Summary

Nadelhaft challenged Marks's $975/hour fee and credentials, then cataloged pre-op-ed negative publicity about Depp to contest the causal link between Heard's op-ed and his career harm.

Direct Direct Examination of Doug Bania Doug Bania Rebecca Lecaroz 5

Summary

IP damages expert Doug Bania testifies that Q scores and Google search results show measurable reputational decline for Depp following Heard's 2016 allegations and 2018 op-ed.

Cross Cross Examination of Doug Bania Doug Bania Adam Nadelhaft 165

Summary

Nadelhaft questioned Bania about his deposition testimony, Google Trends results, and the three Q-score time points used in his analysis.

Direct Direct Examination of Erin Falati Erin Falati Adam Nadelhaft 2 166

Summary

Nurse Erin Falati's nursing notes document Heard's December 2015 injuries, a March 2015 suicidal ideation episode, and Depp's alcohol use during the 2016 divorce.

Highlights (2)

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“Safe? No, she's not. Kept saying she wants to kill herself”

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“I don't want anyone like Amber's (wife) therapist. He has only made things worse”

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Day 13 May 3, 2022

Redirect Redirect Examination of Erin Falati Erin Falati Adam Nadelhaft 9

Summary

Nadelhaft confirms photos Heard texted Falati on May 21, 2016, and probes the December 17, 2015 penthouse visit, including whether Heard wore makeup.

Day 16 May 16, 2022

Direct Amber Heard Direct Examination (Continued) Amber Heard Elaine Bredehoft 9

Summary

Heard walks the jury through April 2015–May 2016 alleged abuse, culminating in a detailed account of the May 21, 2016 penthouse phone-throwing incident, with photos and audio admitted.

Day 19 May 19, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Ron Schnell Ron Schnell Adam Nadelhaft 49

Summary

Heard's counsel walks Ron Schnell through his computer science credentials and social media forensic expertise before tendering him as an expert; Depp's team requests voir dire.

Colloquy Expert Qualification — Social Media Forensic Analysis 3

Summary

At sidebar, Judge Azcarate clarified that voir dire is for expert qualification only; Dennison conceded no objection, and the court admitted Heard's social media expert in open court.

Direct Direct Examination of Ron Schnell Ron Schnell Adam Nadelhaft 78

Summary

Heard's expert Ron Schnell presents Twitter API analysis showing 2.38 million negative hashtag uses against Heard, with spikes correlating to Waldman's alleged defamatory statements.

Redirect Redirect Examination of Ron Schnell Ron Schnell Adam Nadelhaft 13

Summary

Nadelhaft's redirect reaffirms Schnell's core findings: all sampled "justice for Johnny Depp" tweets were negative toward Heard, 25%+ cited Waldman, and negative volume doubled after April 2020.

Direct Direct Examination of Alan Blaustein Alan Blaustein Adam Nadelhaft 140

Summary

Heard's counsel examines Blaustein, Depp's former psychiatrist, whose 2014–15 session notes reveal Depp's substance dependence, anger and jealousy toward Heard, and a chaotic relationship.

Day 21 May 24, 2022

Direct Direct Examination of Richard Marks (Recalled) Richard Marks Rebecca Lecaroz 12

Summary

Depp's entertainment expert Richard Marks rebuts Kathryn Arnold's damages opinions, challenging her comparable actors, renegotiation assumptions, and $45M earnings projection as lacking factual foundation.

Cross Cross Examination of Richard Marks Richard Marks Adam Nadelhaft 36

Summary

Nadelhaft pressed Marks on his lack of superhero deal experience and secured admissions that Aquaman was Heard's breakthrough role and $4M her market rate.

Direct Direct Examination of Doug Bania (Recall) Doug Bania Rebecca Lecaroz 7

Summary

Recalled expert Doug Bania rebuts Schnell's Twitter analysis and Arnold's comparable-actor claims, concluding neither proved the Waldman statements caused economic harm to Heard.

Cross Cross Examination of Doug Bania Doug Bania Adam Nadelhaft 109

Summary

Nadelhaft challenges Bania's exact-phrase search methodology, Q score timing inconsistencies, and narrow assignment scope on rebuttal to Schnell and Arnold.

Direct Direct Examination of Richard Shaw Richard Shaw Stephanie Calnan 31

Summary

Stanford psychiatrist Richard Shaw, called by Depp, testified that Heard's expert Dr. Spiegel violated the APA's Goldwater Rule by opining on Depp's personality and cognition without examination.

Cross Cross-Examination of Richard Shaw Richard Shaw Adam Nadelhaft 2 19

Summary

Nadelhaft challenged Shaw's Goldwater Rule credentials, established Depp declined Spiegel's examination requests twice, and introduced ethics committee authority supporting Spiegel's approach.

Highlights (2)

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“And you understand that Dr. Spiegel requested to meet with Mr. Depp twice but Mr. Depp declined, correct?”

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“And this court authorized Dr. Spiegel to testify in this case, correct?”

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Colloquy Defense Evidence Proffers for the Record 2 22

Summary

Defense counsel Nadelhaft proffers excluded testimony and exhibits from nine witnesses and the UK judgment for the appellate record, all barred on hearsay grounds.

Highlights (2)

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“Dr. Kipper also testified he told Mr. Depp to "bury the dragon," which referred to the bad feelings that Mr. Depp has inside him.”

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“Depp reported that he had cut himself as a child and burned himself with cigarettes.”

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Day 22 May 25, 2022

Colloquy Preliminary Matters — Rebuttal Witness Rulings 9

Summary

Sidebar rulings admit Beverly Leonard for limited impeachment, restrict Kate Moss to staircase testimony, and exclude Dr. Collins and Bryan Neumeister as rebuttal experts.

Day 23 May 26, 2022

Colloquy Jury Instructions Finalized; Closing Argument Ground Rules 1 15

Summary

After Heard rests her counterclaim case, the court finalizes contested jury instructions, approves the verdict form, and sets closing argument ground rules for the next morning.

Highlights (1)

Quote

“Mr. Deuters then sent a text message to Ms. Heard about Mr. Depp stating, 'When I told him he kicked you, he cried.'”

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Evidence From Their Proceedings (58)

Photographs Admitted

Australia House — Bathroom Mirror Writings (Exs. 374, 375, 1830)

Photographs of bathroom mirrors in the Gold Coast, Australia rental house bearing messages written in black oil paint and red lipstick, including "Starring Billy Bob and Easy…

Adam Nadelhaft

About

Trial Record (39)

2022 Defamation Trial Apr 11, 2022 – Jun 1, 2022 39 proceedings

Day 2 April 13, 2022

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Day 3 April 14, 2022

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Day 4 April 18, 2022

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Day 8 April 25, 2022

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Day 11 April 28, 2022

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Day 12 May 2, 2022

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Day 13 May 3, 2022

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Day 16 May 16, 2022

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Day 19 May 19, 2022

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Day 21 May 24, 2022

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Day 22 May 25, 2022

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Day 23 May 26, 2022

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Evidence From Their Proceedings (58)

Australia House — Bathroom Mirror Writings (Exs. 374, 375, 1830)

Heard's Aquaman Option Contract with Warner Bros.

Falati Nursing Notes for Amber Heard (Aug 2014–May 2016)

Schnell Social Media Hashtag Analysis / Dataset

Blaustein Session Notes — October 2014 through January 2015

Depp to Kipper — March 2015 Finger Injury Text (Exhibit 394)

Kipper August 18, 2014 Email to Christi Dembrowski

Lloyd Nursing Notes for Depp — June 2014 through July 2015

The Sun 'Wife Beater' Article — Dan Wootton (April 2018)

Anderson Couples Therapy Session Notes (Plaintiff's Ex. 2)

Arnold Expert Damages Analysis / Report

Australia Hospital Emergency Room Records

Bania Deposition Transcript

December 2015 Heard Injury Photos — Anderson Recollection

Depp–Falati Text Messages, Oct 31, 2015

Depp–Kipper Texts July–August 2015 (Dr. Cowan / Medication Requests)

Falati–Whitney Heard Text Messages, March 23, 2015

Heard Arm/Wrist Cuts — Post-Australia Incident