Alejandra Romero
Alejandra Romero was a front desk employee at the Eastern Columbia Building in downtown Los Angeles for approximately 13 years, managing access control and deliveries for the building's 150+ residential units. She had regular contact with Johnny Depp's household staff and recurring but limited interactions with Amber Heard and Heard's associates Raquel Pennington and Whitney Henriquez. She was called as a fact witness by Depp's team based on her physical proximity to the parties during the relevant period in 2015–2016.
Testimony Impact
Romero testified via deposition playback that she observed no bruising, swelling, or marks on Heard's face during close encounters on March 25, May 24, and May 25, 2016 — the period surrounding the penthouse incident at the center of Heard's account. She also described elevator security footage from the night of May 21 in which Depp appeared visibly agitated and unlike his usual calm demeanor. On cross, Presiado locked in these "no injuries" observations under a confirmation that lighting was good and proximity was close. On redirect, Bredehoft used Romero's own July 2016 deposition to show she had not recalled seeing Heard on May 23–24 at all, and established through systematic questioning that Romero could not identify any makeup products in the video clips — leaving open the possibility that injuries were concealed. The testimony entered the record as a "no injuries" observation but was substantially neutralized by the end of examination.
Notable Quotes From The Record
“His body language was different than before. Most of the time, he's really calm He's just, like, a really happy person. This is the first time I saw him like that.”
Romero's direct observation of Depp's demeanor in the elevator footage from the night of the May 21 incident — the only first-hand account she can offer from that night.
“I was not looking for any marks or bruises or anything. But something like that, it would be really noticeable.”
Key concession: Romero acknowledges she was not actively observing Heard's face, while hedging that obvious injuries would have registered.
“If she was wearing any makeup to cover it, probably, you know-- probably would you -- probably you would cover any bruise, but you cannot cover the swelling.”
Romero introduces the distinction between concealable bruising and visible swelling, setting up the subsequent confrontation with Heard's injury photos.
“According to the pictures I've been seeing right now, that you're showing me, it was pretty swollen. I probably would remember that.”
After being shown photos of Heard's injuries, Romero concedes the swelling was significant enough she likely would have noticed — implicitly weakening her earlier 'no injuries' witness statement.
“Correct. I never saw anything.”
Unqualified denial of any observed injury during the penthouse visit.
“The lighting was pretty good. It was not dark at all.”
Undermines any suggestion that poor lighting explains the absence of observed injuries.
“I don't recall seeing anything.”
Closes the examination with a blanket denial of observed injuries on May 24, 2016.
“I don't remember. I don't even remember what I got for breakfast.”
Romero volunteers her memory limitations when asked about May 24th, immediately undercutting the significance of cross-examination questions about that day.
“I don't even know if she was wearing any lipstick.”
Illustrates Romero's inability to assess Heard's makeup, supporting Bredehoft's argument that surveillance videos cannot rule out concealed injuries.
“No. But she looked pretty pale.”
Romero's only unsolicited observation about Heard's appearance in the videos — pallor rather than normalcy — slightly favors the defense narrative.
“Yes, yes. I'm not going to say no, because she was really always nice. She would be nice.”
Romero's candid endorsement of Heard's demeanor provides mild character support for Heard's team.
Key Moments
Romero describes the May 21 elevator footage: Depp was pacing and visibly agitated, his body language different from the calm, happy demeanor she knew — the only firsthand observational account she could offer from that night.
Day 10 · Direct of Alejandra Romero
Bredehoft's exhaustive parallel questioning reveals Romero cannot recall Heard's clothing, hairstyle, or any makeup category on any occasion, methodically hollowing out the authority of her prior 'no injuries' witness statement.
Day 10 · Direct of Alejandra Romero
Confronted with photos of Heard's alleged injuries, Romero concedes the swelling depicted was significant enough she 'probably would have remembered' — implicitly undercutting the strength of her original observation.
Day 10 · Direct of Alejandra Romero
Presiado extracts an unqualified confirmation: on March 25, under good lighting, at close range, and again during the penthouse walkthrough that same day, Romero saw no bruising, swelling, or marks on Heard's face.
Day 10 · Cross of Alejandra Romero
Romero closes the cross with a blanket denial — 'I don't recall seeing anything' — for May 24, 2016, completing Presiado's multi-date 'no injuries' confirmation loop just before redirect.
Day 10 · Cross of Alejandra Romero
Bredehoft reads from Romero's July 2016 deposition showing she did not recall seeing Heard on May 23rd or 24th at all — directly undercutting the specific dates Presiado had just anchored her 'no injuries' observations to.
Day 10 · Redirect of Alejandra Romero
A closed-question sequence on concealer, foundation, blush, and powder establishes Romero could identify none of these in the video clips, grounding Bredehoft's concealment argument and limiting how far the jury could extend Romero's lay observations.
Day 10 · Redirect of Alejandra Romero
Locations
Evidence From Their Proceedings (5)
ECB Elevator Video: Depp and Bodyguard (May 21, 2016)
Eastern Columbia Building elevator security video from the night of May 21, 2016, authenticated through front desk employee Alejandra Romero, showing Johnny Depp and his bodyguard…
Catalog entry →ECB Surveillance Clips: May 24, 2016 (Romero Cross)
Eastern Columbia Building surveillance video clips from May 24, 2016, shown to Alejandra Romero during cross-examination by Presiado.
Catalog entry →Exhibit 1 — Romero's deposition from July 19, 2016 — page 17 read aloud,
Romero's deposition from July 19, 2016 — page 17 read aloud, covering her recollection of whether she saw Heard on May 22, 23, and 24, 2016.
Catalog entry →May 2016 Injury Photos Shown to Romero
Photographs of Heard's injuries from May 2016, shown to Alejandra Romero, a building front desk employee. Used to prompt Romero's concession that the swelling depicted was…
Catalog entry →Romero Exhibit 1 — Romero Exhibit 1 — Deposition of Alejandra Romero, July 19,
Romero Exhibit 1 — Deposition of Alejandra Romero, July 19, 2016
Catalog entry →